


Sincerely Yours, M

by lanamcrae



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, F/F, Fluff, Slow Burn, Smut, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2019-08-23 08:46:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 79,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16615727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lanamcrae/pseuds/lanamcrae
Summary: Waverly Earp, an RA and student at Purgatory University, begins receiving love letters from an anonymous writer...





	1. one

Waverly Earp awoke to frantic knocking at her dorm room door. She grabbed her phone to check the time - _2:14 A.M._ Rubbing her eyes, she made her way to her feet, then over to the door. As she turned the handle to open the door, the loud thud and a scream forced her to jump back.

"Stop it Zack! Get off of him! Please!". Waverly heard the cry from a woman outside of her door.

She quickly moved forward to grab the handle, swinging the door open as fast as she could. She stood momentarily to take in the situation unfolding in front of her. Two men wrestling on the ground. Bloody noses, busted lips, and a woman pleading for them to stop. The woman, Rebecca, was pulling the sweater of one of the men trying to pry him away. Waverly was familiar with Rebecca - familiar with Rebecca's reputation rather, and was beginning to put two and two together. The words "cheater" combined with the woman's attire, or almost lack thereof, helped paint a picture for Waverly.

Waverly quickly ran back into her dorm room to retrieve her phone and dial campus police. After the phone call she bolted back outside to see the two still tussling in the hallway, only to be joined by the site of the familiar faces of her fellow students standing in their doorways. She made her way over to the men, helping Rebecca pry one from the other.

"Break it up!" Waverly yelled.

"Stay out of this. This is none of your fucking business." The clothed man retorted.

"As the RA of this fucking floor, I'm making this my business. Campus police are on their way and I suggest you get your shit together before they arrive." the brunette responded.

"Fuck this," said the barely clothed man, getting to his feet and beginning to walk away. "I'm not getting arrested for some bitch."

Waverly looked over to find a distraught Rebecca. Seeing the tears push the surface of her eyes, she reached a comforting hand out. There wasn't much Waverly felt she could say in this type of situation, her own biases and morals preventing her from trying sympathize. Considering her own ex Champ fell "victim" as he'd like to call it to the sin that is infidelity, she didn't particularly care for cheaters. As an Resident Assistant however, she was required to help in these types of situations. She looked around and saw more students had continued to gather to watch the events transpire. Ones she knew didn't even live on this floor. Hell, she was pretty sure some didn't even live in this building.

"Alright everyone, show is over. Get back to your rooms." Waverly stated, moving people back into their rooms, deciding to ignore the boozy and skunky smells seeping from some of the quarters. " _That's a problem for another day"_ She thought.

Once it was only the couple, well maybe former couple, and herself left, she took a seat on the floor, opposite of fully clothed man cradling his head in his hands. Rebecca sat down next to him, whispering something to him Waverly was unable to hear.

* _DING*._ She heard the elevator open. Rubbing her eyes she tried to get her story straight in her head. _"I was sleeping when I heard someone knocking on my door. Once I got closer I heard a girl yelling and -"_ Her thoughts cut off when she saw the two police officers, with the nearly naked gentleman who fled from the scene, now covered in a Purgatory Campus Police windbreaker and cuffed wrists around his back. The two officers could have just walked straight from a porno, Waverly gathered _._ The man, talk and muscular with chiseled black hair and an even more chiseled jawline. His stature powerful and intimidating. The woman, _God what a woman she is,_ was just as tall as the man, but thinner and more toned. She had short auburn hair, pulled into a half up half down look that Waverly assumed to keep the tall girl's hair out of her face. Taken back by fiery red hair and soft features, Waverly immediately fell back over after trying to get up.

“Shit.” She muttered.

“Are you alright?” Asked the approaching redhead, reaching out a hand to help her up. She felt the officer pull her up to her feet, leaning forward to meet the RA at eye level while keeping a soft hand on her arm. Waverly feeling a sudden heat build in the pit of her, um _stomach_ , took a step back and nodded.

“My name is Officer Haught. This is my associate Officer Daniels. We found your friend here on our way in. As soon as he saw us he took of running, though running barefoot through gravel probably wasn’t the best getaway plan. Who wants to tell me what happened here?”

Waverly was stunned by the officer’s confidence.

‘ _No one should be this confident at 2:30 in the morning’_  she thought.

Rebecca took a walk with Officer Haught, while the clothed man, who introduced himself as Zack explained his side of the story to Officer Daniels. He had been out of town visiting his family and decided to surprise his girlfriend when he got home. What he wasn’t expecting was to find his girlfriend getting hot and heavy with Greg Porter. The discovery sent him into a blinding rage, starting the whole brawl.

Officer Daniels collected Waverlys statement, thanked her and encouraged her to go back to bed. The two men would be arrested and held for the rest of the night.

Waverly nodded, but wasn’t so eager to return to bed. She looked around for the red headed officer, hoping she’d be able to thank her, congratulate her, anything really. All Waverly knew was she didn’t want to leave without seeing her again.

She wasn’t sure how long it had been that she was lost in her own thoughts, but she suddenly heard Officer Daniels speak again “Waverly, like I said we’ve got it from here. You should probably get some rest.”

Looking around once more, Officer Haught nowhere to be found, she nodded and went back into her room. She laid in bed and stared at the ceiling, until she heard a soft knock at her door.

She bolted out of bed and swung the door open to find Rebecca. Looking around, the officers had left with the two men.

“Hey um, I just wanted to say thank you. For helping me.” Rebecca weakly smiled. Waverly nodded.

“Sure thing. It’s kind of my job.” She laughed. Rebecca dropped her head and nodded.

“Oh and Officer Haught left us each her card in case we need to speak with her. I guess women feel more comfortable talking with her than most of the male cops.” She said, handing a business card to Waverly.

Waverly looked down and read the card.

_Officer Nicole Haught_

_Purgatory University Campus Police_

_Pho-_

Her reading was cut off by Rebecca speaking again. “Well, goodnight Waverly.”

“Goodnight. Get some rest. All will be alright.”  Waverly smiled. She closed her door and crawled back into bed, placing the calling card on her nightstand. She drifted to sleep thinking of that red red hair and soft brown eyes, suddenly feeling safer she had a way to contact her.

 

Waverly awoke a couple hours later at her 7 AM alarm. She arose from her slumber and got herself ready for her classes. Her morning was busy with back to back international and ancient history courses, while her afternoons were open to complete coursework and study.

She met up with Chrissy Nedley in the afternoon in the library, intending to study. But knowing Chrissy, and she wanted to talk about was the fight that she heard break out on Waverly’s hall.

“So he was like butt ass naked?” Chrissy laughed. Waverly roller her eyes.

“No, he was in his underwear and so was she. Can we please study?” Waverly replied.

“Not until you give me the details! Who would you rather do Greg Porter or Zack Williams?”

‘ _Nicole Haught’_ Waverly thought. “Neither. I’d rather DO my homework.” She said.

Finally Chrissy sighed in defeat. The two began going over their English papers, Chrissy asking little questions here and there about the fight.

They were interrupted by a pair of rough hands on Waverly’s shoulder and a hoarse whisper in her ear.

“Hey baby.” Waverly shot out of her chair and looked behind her to find Champ Hardy, her _ex-boyfriend_.

“Hi Champ. Please don’t call me that.” Waverly said sitting down.

“Chrissy can Waverly and I have a minute please?” Champ asked. Chrissy looked over at Waverly who responded with a nod. Champ was harmless. An asshole. But a physically harmless asshole.

Chrissy left and Champ sat down next taking the newly unoccupied seat. “I heard about the fight last night. Heard you had to get involved. Are you alright?” Taken back by the sincerity in his voice, Waverly just nodded. “Look bab- Waverly I know we aren’t together but I still care about you. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”

“Thank you Champ. That’s very sweet.” Waverly replied.

“So does that mean we’re back together? Should we go back to your room to make up?” He asked.

“What? No! Why would you think that?”

“I was nice and thoughtful, I thought that’s what you wanted. God Waverly why are you so complicated? I give you what you want and you still won’t take me back?”

“You saying one nice thing doesn’t forgive everything you’ve done.” She stayed firmly. He rolled his eyes and huffed away. She shook her head, gathered her things and figured a day at the gym would help take out her frustration. She texted Chrissy letting her know. Chrissy responded saying she’d join her.

They exercised for a couple hours, had dinner together at the dining commons, then parted ways making their way back to their respective dorms.

Still irritated and Champ, Waverly was lost in her own thoughts and she turned the corner of her hallway, suddenly feeling like she ran into a brick wall and fell to the ground.

“Hey I’m so sorry I didn’t see you coming are you alright?”

Waverly looked to see Officer Haught standing above her. She was glowing in cheap fluorescent lighting. She reached out her hand like she didn’t the night before and helped Waverly to her feet. “We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” she laughed.

Waverly giggled and responded with ever growing panic “Yeah I’m fine, sorry I wasn’t watching where I was going. What brings you here Officer? Did something happen? Is everyone okay? Did I do some-“ She was caught off by hands gripping her shoulders.

“Whoa Waverly slow down, everything is okay. Rebecca needed to speak with someone so she called me. I was just now leaving. Did she give you the card I left for you?”

Waverly smiled and nodded.

“Great. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. I’m always happy to help.” She smiled.

_‘Shit. Dimples’_ Waverly thought. “Thank you Officer Haught.” She said sweetly, intending to keep the officer’s gaze. After a moment, Waverly swears she saw the older woman blush as she looked to the ground. Waverly bit on her bottom lip to stop her smile grow ever wider.

“Well, I should probably get going. Lord knows a Friday night is going to be filled with noise complaints. Try not to get into anymore fights okay?” Nicole winked.

“I’ll do my best officer.” Waverly replied. Nicole bit her lower lip and walked past her to the elevator. Waverly began moving down the hall to her room. When she got to her door she looked back at the elevator to see the officer looking her way. Nicole offered her a small smile “Have a good night Waverly.” She called out and walked into the elevator.

Waverly smiled and unlocked her door. As she walked into her room, she heard the crinkling of paper underneath her shoe. She looked down to find a folded piece of paper. Her bag was closed, nothing could have fallen out.

Picking up and unfolding the note, she found in beautiful calligraphy a mysterious and vague note.

_Waverly_

_If only you knew what I know._

_You’ll never know the beauty that radiates from you._

_I’ll be in touch._

_Sincerely yours,_

**_M_ **

“Who the hell is M?”


	2. two

Waverly stared at the note she found, pondering what it meant. I’ll be in touch? Who is M? She began racking her brain as to who could have left this note. She had been gone all day which meant anyone could have left it. 

She knew one person who was definitely around while she was out. 

Nicole.

Nicole Haught.

Could she have left her this note? Why would she sign it M? She reached over to the business card on her nightstand. Getting ready to dial the number, she was interrupted by a knock on the door. Could it be Nicole? Perhaps she came by to make sure Waverly got her note. 

She opened the door to find Chrissy, one hand holding a handle of whiskey the other hand in the air. Next to her stood Waverly’s sister, Wynonna holding another handle of whiskey. 

“Surprise!” They yelled in unison. Waverly just raised an eyebrow and looked at the two up and down, before breaking out into laughter.

“You two are ridiculous,” she said through her giggling. She pulled them into her dorm room and looked around the hallway, ensuring no one saw their underage RA with booze in her room. When she realized all was clear, Waverly went to join the other women in her room. She folded up the mysterious note and shoved it into her pocket.

“Babygirl get your ass over here,” Wynonna exclaimed. “Hey, why do you have a cop’s card? What happened? Did Champ do something? Do I need to kick his sorry ass?” Wynonna clearly getting heated took a swig of the whiskey right out of the bottle.

“Wavelry had to break up a fight last night. You know she came in all Wonder Woman and shit swinging her sword or shield or gun or whatever she uses. Cops came back to clean up the aftermath.” Chrissy stated. 

“What the fuck Chrissy?” Waverly laughed. The three girls drank themselves into the night. Telling stories of parties, classes, and Wynonna’s escapades. Waverly shocked to find out Wynonna had a relatively serious boyfriend, John Henry and was working with him to run a bar that he owned. 

Waverly explained her situation with Champ. They were broken up, but he was constantly trying to get back together to her. It only occurred to her in that moment that maybe Champ was the person who left her the note. She automatically assumed it was Nicole, but she had seen Champ earlier that day and he was trying to convince her that he was good enough for her. Did he leave the note as a way to try to make amends? Prove he was caring? She decided to not bring up the note to the other girls. No doubt the two of them would try and get involved. 

Before she knew it she was drifting to sleep in her twin bed, Wynonna cuddled up next to her and Chrissy on the floor. She felt the room spin and she looked over to see one of the handles of whiskey ¾ empty. As she drifted off to sleep she saw the note again and imagined Nicole, then Champ, then Bobby Turner her second grade crush, then Andrea Johnson her 11th grade crush, sliding the note under her door. Who could it be?

She awoke the next morning regretting everything she drank the night before, but not quite to the point of complete misery. Wynonna was snoring next to her, and Chrissy still in the same position she was in when she fell asleep. Waverly climbed over her sister, carefully walked around Chrissy, threw a sweatshirt on, quickly brushed her teeth in her bathroom, grabbed her bag and left her room making her way to the dining commons coffee shop. 

Once she ordered her drinks she sat down cradling her head in her hands, careful not to push the sunglasses she was wearing indoors too hard into her face.

“Order for Waverly!” she winced at the baristas sunny demeanor as she stood up to grab the to go tray of 3 coffees. “Have a great day!” the barista said.

“Thanks, you too.” She said trying not to be rude. She made her way back to her dorm room, where taped to her door was another note. She stopped and stared, not sure if she wanted to take the note. Sure the first one was sweet, but something about it rubbed her the wrong way once she thought of the possibility of the secret admirer not being Nicole. She placed the coffees on the ground and untaped the note. Opening it, she saw the calligraphy she saw before. 

_ Waverly _

_ Your beauty can light a room. Your face luminous. _

_ Your hair, long, flowing like strands of gold. _

_ Your smile, beautiful white pearls _

_ Your eyes, shimmering ponds of emerald. _

_ No one else can compare. No one else can appreciate. _

_ No one knows what I know. No one see what I see. _

_ Sincerely yours, _

_ M _

She folded the note and put it into her pocket. Did whoever leave this note know she left the room? If she had left the room five minutes earlier, would she have caught this admirer? Was Nicole working? 

Why did that last thought matter? If she was on duty last night she probably wouldn’t be awake at this hour right? Maybe she wasn’t super busy and took the dull hours of the morning to write this note?

Champ was never awake this early, but if he was trying to win her back who knows what he would do. 

She pondered these thoughts as she walked back into the room, slamming the door behind her. The two women still sleeping, jolted up and groaned as they saw Waverly standing with coffee. Chrissy stood up and grabbed one of the cups. She kissed Waverly on the cheek, grabbed her bag and left without a word.

Waverly moved over to the bed, finding Wynonna with the comforter pulled over her head. Waverly pulled the blanket down and rubbed her head.

“Wynonna I need you to get up. I need to go to the library to work.”“Just leave me here then.” her sister groaned. 

“If you leave you won’t be able to lock up.”

Wynonna groaned again. Reluctantly, she sat up, stared at Waverly, opened her mouth and sighed heavily right into Waverly’s face. Waverly winced at her morning breath, still a hint of whiskey lingering in her mouth.

“Come on Wynonna don’t be gross. Here i brought you some coffee. No doubt it’ll make your breath worse. I don’t have an extra toothbrush so you’ll have to use your finger. Please wash your hands before you do.”

Wynonna hopped out of bed into the bathroom, took a swig of mouthwash, and spit it back out. 

“Good enough,” Waverly chuckled, rolling her eyes. She sipped her coffee as well as her water that she always had with her as she watched Wynonna slowly gathered her things. Once she was ready, she followed Waverly out of the door. 

“How are you not dying?” Wynonna asked while Waverly locked up. “I feel like I was hit by a truck. You’re too fucking chipper for someone who helped nearly polish off a handle of whiskey.” 

“You and Chrissy definitely drank more than I did. I knew I had assignments to work on so i didn’t drink as much as you guys, but i’m still feeling it. I guess I can just hold my liquor better than you sis.”

“Why is there tape on your door?” Wynonna questioned. She could have told her sister about the notes she’s been left, could have asked for her advice, told her about Nicole and Champ. But she didn’t. It almost felt embarrassing to talk about. 

“No idea.” She responded. 

The sisters went there separate ways once they left the building. Waverly on her way to the library and Wynonna on her way to who knows where. Probably to drink more at her boyfriends bar no doubt. Waverly giggled to herself.

When she got to the library she found the farthest table in the back where she could work without being disturbed by anyone. It was always empty on a Saturday morning, but she didn’t even want the possibility of being noticed by anyone. She put in her headphones and got to work.

About an hour later, she stood up from belongings to walk to the biographical section, finding 2 or 3 books she needed for one of her research papers on Artemisia Gentileschi. She returned to her table and saw her textbook had been closed. She looked around and saw no one in sight. She walked through the quiet library, seeing a small selection of students sitting a desks and tables, a couple looking at books on shelves, and one or two using the computers to play video games. Any one of them could have moved her stuff, but none of them she really recognized.

She walked back to the table and reopened her textbook to find a folded piece of paper. She let out a sigh and picked up the note. 

_ Waverly _

_ Serva me, servabo te. _

_ Sincerely yours, _

_ M _

 

“Save me and I will save you,” she whispered. What does this mean? Who was doing this? Why were they so cryptic? Did they know that she knew Latin? How much does this person know about her? She gathered her belongings in a hurry. She quickly made her way out of the library, not stopping to look if anyone was watching her leave. 

Champ knows she knows Latin, he should anyway. Could Nicole know? As she stepped outside into the bright light, she saw a familiar head of red hair walking away the opposite direction of the library. Waverly clenched her jaw. “Nicole!” she shouted. The red head turned around and smiled when she saw who was calling out to her. Waverly lightly jogged over to her. Noticing the younger girl’s frustration ridden face, her smile fell into concern. 

“Waverly is everything okay? What’s wrong?” She asked. 

“Do you think this is funny?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Serva me, servabo te,” Waverly quoted.

“Waverly, I’m sorry I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Nicole said with sincerity. 

“You didn’t-” she shook her head, cutting off her own words. 

“What’s going on? What did you think I did?”

“It’s nothing. Sorry to bother you.” Waverly shook her head. Nicole didn’t leave these notes for her. Why was she slightly disappointed? Not even a minute ago she was ready to yell at her for leaving them and freaking her out. 

“Hey, you’re not a bother. I’m concerned Waverly. What’s going on?” Waverly stood in silence staring at her feet. “How about I buy you a cup of coffee and we can talk?” Waverly looked up. “It doesn’t need to be about whatever is going on. Let’s just talk. How does that sound?” 

Waverly nodded. 

The two headed to the coffee shop in silence. Waverly internally debating whether or not to tell the redhead about the notes she had been receiving. 


	3. three

Waverly stared at her cup of coffee, her mind wandering to the notes she had been receiving. They were harmless. Someone was expressing admiration for her. Maybe she was just overreacting. They sat in the coffee shop for what seemed like hours, simply getting to know each other. Waverly discovered Nicole loved animals and being outdoors. Nicole learned that Waverly loved reading and spending time with friends. They bonded over shared interests in movies, music, morals - Waverly felt like she was on cloud nine talking to NIcole. For once in her life, she felt she was being listened to, and she couldn’t help but blush when Nicole would flash that dimpled smile of hers.Waverly spoke of her studies, Nicole discussed the academy, and the two would sometimes sit in comfortable silence.  Waverly was smitten, and part of her felt like Nicole may be too. Their conversation fell silent, and tension began to rise. Waverly knew it was time for the conversation that had prompted this get together.

“Maybe I’m just overreacting.” Waverly said as she stared at her coffee. Nicole looked at her. It was in this moment Waverly noticed how tired Nicole looked. She had dark gray circles under her bloodshot eyes, her hair a little frizzy. and her very light makeup fading.  She furrowed her brow and tilted her head quizzically. “Have you been working all night?” Nicole smiled weakly and looked down at her tea. “Oh my God you have. Nicole why didn’t you tell me? We shouldn’t be here you should go home and go to sleep.” She began to stand when Nicole grabbed her hand.

“Waverly, I’m fine.” she responded, urging her to sit back down. “Overreacting about what?”

“Someone has been leaving me these notes. Two at my dorm and one while I was in the library. They’re kind of love letters.” Nicole's eyebrows shot up.

“And you thought I wrote them?” she smiled.

“Well yeah, I had just seen you at the dorm when I found the first one, and obviously I ran into you by the library. I thought maybe you had been by this morning and left the second one at my dorm again.”

Nicole nodded.

“Well no Waverly I didn’t write them. I don’t think my girlfriend would appreciate me writing love letters to someone else,” she chuckled.

_“Girlfriend. Of course’_ she looked down at her coffee again.

“Waverly, if you’re concerned about your safety, you could always file a report.”

“No, like I said i think i’m just overreacting. It’s just a lot. I’m okay.” She smiled softly. “Um, thank you for this coffee. I thought one cup would help my hangover but it seems more than one is necessary.” she joked.

“Aren’t you staying in a freshman dorm? Where alcohol is prohibited?” Nicole asked with a coy smile.

“What’s the correct answer here?”

“Your secret's safe with me,” Nicole winked. “I should probably get home. I should get at least a couple hours of sleep before my next shift. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you Waverly. I promise if I write you any love notes I’ll give them to you directly.”

Waverly chuckled and watched Nicole leave. After she finished her coffee she grabbed her bag and walked back to her dorm. It was still the early afternoon and she didn’t have class until Monday, but between the mystery notes and her hangover all she wanted to do was crawl back into bed and pretend Nicole didn’t have a girlfriend.

As she approached her door she shuddered at the sight of a paper sticking halfway out of her door, faced down. Once she picked up the paper, she took in a deep breath and turned it over.

_Book Club_

_Meets every first Tuesday of the Month_

_Library Meeting Room #3_

She stopped reading the flyer and went into her room. Tossing the flyer in the garbage she laid down on her bed, drifting into sleep thinking of Nicole.

**********

Four days had passed and Waverly hadn’t received any more notes. Coincidentally, she hadn’t seen Nicole either. Had she lied to her? Was she avoiding Waverly now that she had been caught? She sat wondering in class how she could possibly believe Nicole was innocent after all these indicators made her look guilty.

She tried to keep her focus on the lesson her professor was teaching, but couldn’t stop thinking of the notes and the officer. Nicole had to be the one doing it. She felt a foot nudge her. She looked over at Chrissy who was looking at her.

“What?” she whispered. Chrissy nodded towards the front of the class. She looked to find her professor staring back at her.

“Well Ms. Earp, do you have an answer?”

“Oh, shit.” Waverly responded. The class chuckled. “Sorry what was the question?” The instructor huffed and went back to her lecture and Waverly shrunk in her seat.

“What is going on with you girly?” Chrissy whispered. “You’ve been distracted these last couple days, what’s wrong? Do me and Wynonna need to have another whiskey date? Did Champ do something?”

Champ. Waverly had been so caught up in the confusion surrounding Nicole, she hadn’t even stopped to reconsider Champ. As class was dismissed, Waverly told Chrissy she had to go, leaving her friend to go to their next class alone.

She made her way to Champ’s off campus apartment he rented with 3 other men, well _boy-men_. Approaching the front door, she was overwhelmed with the smell of sweat and weed. She lightly knocked on the door. Opening the door was a familiar face. Greg Porter. He stood and stared, clearly not recognizing the woman. He looked her up and down, raised an eyebrow, and flashed a smile.

“Is Champ here?” His smile faded.

“Hey Champ! Get your ass over here dipshit, a dime piece is here to see you.” she heard footsteps coming towards the front door.

“Oh shit, I didn’t know Lindsey was comi- oh, Waverly hey.” He said, looking like a deer in headlights. Waverly sighed and smiled.

“Yep, definitely not you.” She turned on her heels and made her way back to her car.

“Waverly, baby wait!” Champ called after her. He grabbed her arm and turned her away, pulling her into a kiss.

“Champ get off of me,” she said trying to push him away.

“Look I’m sorry. You know how these guys are. I need to look like a player. I’ve only got eyes for you baby.” Waverly grimaced. He kept his grip on her, trying to pull her back towards the apartment. “Come on baby let’s talk.”

She rolled her eyes and agreed. They sat in his living room talking about nonsense as Waverly wondered if Champ was even capable of writing those notes.

“Can we talk somewhere more private? Maybe your room or something? Just don’t get any ideas.” She quickly mentioned.

“Sorry babe, no can do. Chester is getting it in right now.”

“In your room?”

“Yeah his was dirty.”

“Had your roommates used your bed while we were together?”

Champ wiggled his eyebrows.

“Jesus Christ, what am I doing here?” she said. His hands wandered the small of her back as he tried to move closer.

“Waverly, baby. You and me. We’re so good together you know it. I fucked up, but I promise I won’t anymore. I’ll be better.”

She took his face in her hands and smiled. “No Champ. I’m sorry, but no.”

His expression changed looking past her. Something she didn’t recognized. It wasn’t sadness, not quite anger. Planning, pondering, _plotting._

“I’ll find a way.” he said sternly continuing his gaze behind her. Just as she was about to ask about the notes. He rose to his feet and grabbed her arm. “You should probably go Waverly.”

As Champ ushered her to the front door, she saw a glimpse of Greg Porter in the kitchen, back towards her ripping papers to shreds.

“Goodbye Waverly.” Champ said closing the door in her face. She never expected to be on the receiving end of this interaction. Champ was always on this side of it, too many times to count.

She went back to her car, looking back at the apartment windows every couple of feet. Wondering what she saw. What Champ saw that made him want her to leave.

She drove back to campus at around 5:00 PM. As she got out of her car, she saw a familiar face approach her.

“Hi Waverly,” Nicole said

“Hey, how are you? I haven’t seen you in a couple days.” Waverly coldly responded, not entirely convinced Nicole was telling her the truth.

“I’ve been working nights. I’ve been patrolling the north side of the campus.”

Waverly lived on the west side.

“Convenient.” she responded.

“What?”

“Nothing. I’ve got schoolwork to get done. Excuse me.” She stormed past the officer, not turning as she felt the woman’s eyes burn into her back. The farther away she got from Nicole, the more guilty she felt. It wasn’t fair to leave NIcole hanging like that, and when she got back to her room, no note to be seen, her guilt came on even stronger. She took out her phone, feeling it buzz in the back pocket.

“Hey Wynonna.” she answered. “Sure, what time? What bar?”


	4. four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was planning on uploading chapter 4 yesterday, but got caught up in Thanksgiving! I love all the comments from you guys. Hope you continue to enjoy. I'm having fun with this story. :)

As Nicole drove home, her mind kept wandering back to the strange encounter she had just had with Waverly Earp. She had been walking back to the parking lot when she saw her in all her glory. Nicole thought she was one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen and couldn’t help feeling protective of her. So when Waverly seemed to brush her off like she was nothing, she couldn’t help but feel hurt knowing full well she shouldn’t care at all. What should she care about a random girl she’s only had a few encounters with? It’s not like she knew anything about her. It’s not like she was beautiful and sweet and funny. No, _definitely not any of those things._

As she pulled into her driveway, the small movements she saw in the window of her kitchen brought her back to reality. Her reality with Shae. She walked into her home to find her girlfriend sitting at the table, drinking a glass of wine and a meal for one. “Hi honey,” Nicole said. Shae looked up from her phone then down at her watch.

“Oh sorry Nicole, I thought you were working late tonight. I can make you something if you’d like.” she said as she looked back down at her phone.

“Uhh - no I finally had a day shift. Should be on day shifts for a couple weeks now.” Shae continued to look at her phone, smiling at whatever she was looking at. “I can make something thanks.”

Nicole walked to the refrigerator and pulled out the fixings for a turkey sandwich. She kept looking back at Shae who was continuously giggling at whatever she was looking at, hardly touching her dinner. “What’s so funny?”

“Oh just this group chat I have with some of the other residents. You can’t say half of this stuff to patients so we just tell each other what we want to say to them.”

“Did you have a good day?”

“Yeah it was fine Nicole.” she continued laughing at her messages.

She nodded continuing to make her sandwich. She sat down at the table with Shae and ate her dinner while her girlfriend continued to stare at her phone while she ate. Once Shae was finished she place her plate in the dishwasher then made her way to their bedroom, leaving Nicole with her half eaten dinner. Losing her appetite, she threw the rest away and sat on the couch. Shae emerged out of the bedroom changed out of her work attire, into a cocktail dress. She kissed Nicole on the cheek and grabbed her purse. “I’m going out with some girls from work, don’t wait up.”

Before she had the chance to respond, the front door was shut with Shae on the other side. She knocked her head back against the couch and stared at the ceiling.

“My day was just fuckin’ peachy babe thanks for asking. No please don’t help me with my stuff or talk to me during dinner, I don’t want to tear you away from anyone important in your life. Sure I would like to enjoy a night on the town with my girlfriend that sounds great.” Nicole huffed in frustration.

She stood up and made her way to the bedroom, shedding parts of her uniform on the way. She walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Letting her short hair down, she stared in the mirror, seeing the remnants of bruise she got from a drunk frat boy a couple days back lingering on her ribcage. She stepped into the shower and just stood there, taking in the heat from the water. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander - and to Waverly is where her mind wandered. She couldn’t stop thinking of how beautiful she is; how sweet and gentle she seems, but how fiery and passionate she can be. That fire and passion, Nicole craved but the sincerity, the realness she dwelled on. Waverly didn’t pretend to be anything. She is who she is and she doesn’t apologize for it.

Nicole felt the heat of the shower, but also felt the heat radiating from herself, from her core. It felt wrong. Nicole shouldn’t be feeling so aroused by this woman. This woman who wasn’t her girlfriend. She tried to bring herself back to normalcy, trying desperately to expel the thoughts of desire from her mind. Her right hand however, seemed to have a mind of its own.

As she worked against her hand, she tried to move all thoughts of Waverly out of her mind. She began thinking of other women - actresses, porn stars, Shae, but with every stroke she felt herself moving closer and closer to Waverly. Before long, those thoughts consumed her - moving faster and faster against her clit. Before she could reach her climax, she abruptly stopped overwhelmed with a rush of guilt that hit her. She panted as she held her hand against the wall. She turned off the water and stepped out of the shower.

Over the next couple of hours, Nicole did everything she could to keep herself distracted. She read, watched TV, hell she even cleaned. Nothing seemed to keep her attention. She finally decided to do something she knew she didn’t want to. She called Shae.

“Hello?”

“Hey, where are you at? I was thinking maybe I could come out and meet your friends. I think it would be fun!” She said excitedly.

“Um, yeah sure Nicole. We’re at Bulldogs. It’s the new bar in Hunstville.”

“Great! I’ll be right over. I love y-” the line went dead.

She put on some skinny jeans and a green flannel, topping off the look with some laced black boots. She got into her car and began making her way to the bar, excited to spend time with her girlfriend and friends, and not at all thinking about a student at the university she worked at. When she arrived at the bar, she was surprised to see how busy it was.

When she got out of her car, her police instincts kicked in as she saw two gentlemen in a heated conversation. She cautiously watched them grabbing her handcuffs out of her bag, immediately sighing when she saw one of them walk back into the bar and the other walked away. She put the cuffs back into her bag and entered the bar.

The bar was filled with tobacco smoke and the smell of cheap beer. She didn’t imagine Shae would end up somewhere like this. She was far more into cocktails at high end lounges. She found her girlfriend in a slew of other women. Putting her arm around her waist she leaned into her girlfriends space, giving her a kiss on the neck. “Hi baby,” she smiled.

Shae wiped her neck and turned to her. “Hi Nicole,” she took a step away. “These are my friends from work. This is Nathasha, Lianne, and Megan. Ladies this is NIcole.” They all waved, sipping their drinks.

“Can I get you anything?” Nicole offered.

“No I’m fine.” Shae responded, returning to her conversation with the other women. Nicole went to the bar and ordered herself a drink. She returned to the table with her girlfriend, placing her hand on the small of her back. Shae leaned up to her, trying to whisper something. “You know how I feel about PDA Nicole.” She dropped her hand, and placed it into her pocket and shyly sipped at her drink. The four women went on, complaining about people they work with and patients they’re treating. Nicole half listened, as she carefully eyed the bar and people in it. Her gaze landed on the one and only Waverly Earp who was talking with another brown haired woman and a blonde. She smiled at the sight of her. She whipped her head back around at the sound of one of the women speaking to her.

“So Nicole, Shae tells us you’re a security guard?” asked one of the women. Nicole had forgotten their names entirely at this point, let alone who was whom.  

“Um no, I’m a police officer. Not a security guard.”

“But don’t you just work at the college?”

“Still a police officer. I graduated from the academy and accepted a position with the university. I’m still very much a police officer.” She looked over at Shae who was looking at her phone. Nicole’s job had always been a point of contention between the two of them. Shae didn’t want Nicole to join the academy, she asked that she pursued something less dangerous, but Nicole simply told her there wasn’t another option for her. She was passionate about helping people, as a police officer and that was what she was going to spend her life doing. Shae reluctantly agreed to it. Things never seemed to be the same from that point. There was always a lingering feeling of resentment between the two of them. Shae felt like she was disrespected and Nicole felt unsupported. Nicole had supported Shae through her final years of med school, but never felt the same support when it came to the academy. After she graduated and accepted the position at the university, Shae seemed to be baffled with her decision.

_“All that work and stress you put on our relationship and you’re not even a real cop Nicole”_ she had said one night in the heat of an argument. Shae apologized a while later, but Nicole could never forget those words that came out of her mouth. They had come from a place Nicole thought they had moved past. Shae was telling coworkers, friends, who knows who else she was a security guard, not a police officer.

The table had fallen silent at Nicole’s remarks. Clearly the disdain for Shae’s description of her partner’s career choice had not been well masked. “Excuse me ladies.” NIcole left her drink and headed for the restroom. She felt the four pairs of eyes burn a hole in her back as she walked away. She went into the open stall and slammed it shut, putting her back against the stall door. She bit her lip to try and subdue her now forming tears. She didn’t want to feel this way. She shouldn’t have to lock herself in a dirty bathroom stall just to escape her partner’s disapproval. She hit her head against the stall again, as the tears she was clinging onto so tightly began to fall. She slid down to sit on the floor, staring up at the ceiling through her damp vision.

She heard the bathroom door open and a set of heels walk on the linoleum over to the sink. She unraveled some toilet paper and began to wipe away her tears, discarding her emotion with the damp tissue as it flushed down the toilet. Taking a final moment to pull herself together, she straightened her jacket, fluffed her hair and opened the stall door. In the mirror she saw a woman standing at the sink staring back at her.

They kept their gaze for a few moments, before the woman turned around to face Nicole. She slowly walked towards the red head, and Nicole felt her breath hitch. There were mere inches between there faces, she could feel the woman’s breath on her face.

“Nicole,” she said in a whisper.

Nicole stood in silence, studying the woman in front of her. Ready for what would come next.

“Don’t you ever embarrass me in front of my friends again.” Shae said sternly. “I’d like you to come out and apologize.”

Nicole continued to stare at Shae. “Yes, dear.” she said sarcastically. Shae shook her head and turned away from Nicole, leaving her alone in the bathroom once more. She walked over to the sink and saw her red eyes staring back at her, the trance only broken when she heard the door open again and a few giggling voices entering as she washed her hands.

“Nicole?” she looked up to see Waverly looking at her. Nicole returned with a shy smile and a nod, turning her attention back to her hands in the sink.

Before Waverly had the chance to say anything more, Nicole was wiping her hands dry and leaving the bathroom. Nicole made her way back to the table to find her girlfriend, still talking with her friends as if nothing had ever happened.

“You feeling better? I hope you don’t mind, I told them how you weren’t feeling well which is why you were acting so strange.” Shae prompted with a tight smile.

“Never better.” Nicole replied as she chugged the rest of her drink. She continued to listen to the women talk as she had before, nodding and smiling when anyone looked her way. She stayed that way for the next two hours, listening to them ramble on about Lord knows what anymore. Every so often she would lock eyes with Waverly, who would offer her an apologetic smile.

After three hours passed, Nicole decided to leave. “I’ll see you at home. What time are you coming home?”

“I don’t know, whenever. I’m off until the evening so it doesn’t matter what time i get home.” Nicole nodded.

“Be safe. Call me if you need me to come get you.”

“Okay. Bye.” Shae immediately returned to her conversation. Nicole nodded to the other women and made her way out of the bar. As she looked around the parking lot, she noticed the red Jeep she hadn’t noticed when she first arrived. She had recognized it from her encounter earlier with Waverly. As she looked closer, she noticed a paper that had been place on the windshield underneath the wiper. She grabbed the paper and turned it over.

_Waverly_

_I hope you have missed me._

_I have sure missed you._

_Only the thought of you helped keep my peace._

_The promise of seeing you again keeps my mind at ease._

_Semper Fidelis_

_Sincerely yours,_

_M_

 

Nicole stared at the note she was holding her hand.  Waverly thought it was NIcole leaving her these notes. Her instincts kicked in and she began worrying for Waverly’s safety. Who knows what kind of person was writing these letters. He, she, they could have some serious delusions or obsessions regarding Waverly.

“It was you.” she heard from behind her. “How could you lie to me Nicole?” She turned to find Waverly standing behind her, brow furrowed and arms crossed. “How could you lie right to my face? What is wrong with you? Have you been following me? Is that why you’re here tonight? To continue your sick game? I felt awful today, brushing you off like that. I came out here to apologize, to find this. You leaving another one of your fucked up notes on my car. God dammit Nicole, what is wrong with you?”

Nicole felt her eyes water. She looked to the ground. She had so many things she wanted to say to Waverly - things she shouldn’t. Things Shae would leave her for. She knew nothing she said would change the compromising position Waverly had found her in, but she had to try.

“Waverly, I know you don’t want to believe me, but I promise you I did not leave this note. I was walking to my car when I saw it. Waverly I would never do something like this to you. I would never lie to you. I care about you.” she voice broke during the last sentence. Saying it out loud felt wrong, but she couldn’t help it, as she was desperate to change Waverly’s ever plummeting opinion of her.

“Yeah, bullshit Nicole.” Waverly stormed to her car and got in the driver’s seat. She started the car and drove out of the parking lot. Nicole watched as she drove away. If she had her cop car she could probably justify pulling her over with the way she was driving. No doubt that would make things worse anyway.

Nicole got into her car, still clenching the note in her hand. Looking at it once more, she thought of the selfish bastard who unknowingly ruined her relationship-, friendship with Waverly. She crumpled up the paper, and tossed it to the passenger seat.

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck!” She yelled, hitting her steering wheel. She took another breath, trying to calm herself down. She entered her key into the ignition and began her drive home, every so often looking down at the crumbled note on the seat next to her. She reached over to grab it once more, when she saw a bright flash of light coming towards the drivers side door, and in a moment that flash of light turned to utter darkness as she felt her eyes force shut, hearing glass shattering around her.


	5. five

Waverly awoke the morning after her fight with Nicole, feeling more hopeless than she had ever felt before. Her eyes ached from all the crying for what felt like hours. She couldn’t believe Nicole had lied straight to her face, and continued to lie once she was caught. The only thing keeping her going, was she knew the notes would undoubtedly stop. She had been caught. Who knows how long Nicole had been following her around, learning her schedule, watching every move she made. She felt sick thinking of how Waverly made her feel.

As much as she wanted to wallow, she knew it would do nothing but make herself feel worse. She had multiple texts and missed calls from Wynonna and Chrissy, whom she had left at the bar with no way to get home. They ended up getting an Uber back to campus, where Wynonna crashed with Chrissy. She spent her day going to class, and although she was physically present, her mind continued to think of Nicole. She continued her day per her normal schedule, taking caution as she walked around the university police department. She didn’t see NIcole anywhere, and she wanted to keep it that way. She was worried that if Nicole came and tried to explain herself and apologize, she’d end up forgiving her.

By the end of the day, all she wanted was to be back in her bed, continue binging _Cheers_ on Netflix. It wasn’t her typical cup of tea, but a girl can only watch so many documentaries before she needs some light hearted comedies. As she walked up to her door, she stopped dead in her tracks and she saw the light beige paper taped to her door once more. She felt her head spin as she stood and stared. Had Nicole really continued her bit after being caught? At what point what she going to stop? What the hell did she want at this point? She untaped the note, and opened it.

_Waverly_

That’s all she read before she opened her door, threw her book bag on the ground, and locked up once more. She huffed as she made her way down the hall to the elevator. A couple of women on her floor tried to get her attention, but she just kept moving. Her looks were deceiving. When she was angry, she was _angry_. She hated when people underestimated her, and Nicole continuing to leave these notes showed Waverly that she underestimated that she wouldn’t kick her ass. She tore through the campus in rage, leaving students and faculty flustered and staring. She barged into the police station, walking up to the first officer she saw. “Where is Officer Haught? I need to speak with her immediately.” She stomped her foot with the final word. The officer stared back at her.

“Chief!” the officer yelled. A tall man came into view, he reminded Waverly of her father. “This student is asking about Haught.” The man walked over to the two of them and eyed Waverly cautiously. She raised her eyebrows, waiting to hear what he had to say.   
“Miss, Officer Haught isn’t here right now. Anything you need to talk with her about you can talk  about with any of my other officers. Officer Chan can help you with your matters.” He turned to walk away.

“No!” she yelled. “I need to speak with Officer Haught. It’s extremely fucking personal. Where the fuck is she? If you don’t tell me where she is I will wait for her to come back. I won’t move from this spot until she’s back.” The three stood in silence, the two policemen eyeing her carefully.

“Are you a friend of hers?” Waverly didn’t quite know how to answer that question. She looked to the floor, furrowing her brow and clenching her jaw. His face grew concerned “MIss, please step into my office.”

Waverly entered and took a seat. He closed the door behind them and sat across from Waverly. “Miss-” he paused and looked at her, realizing he never got her name.

“Waverly,” she said softly.

“Waverly. Like I mentioned before, Officer Haught is not here. She-” he paused “She was in an accident last night. I received a call from her girlfriend this morning. She’s been in the hospital since late last night. Left a bar in the city and was hit by a drunk driver running a red light.” Waverly’s jaw dropped and tears welled in her eyes. ” She’ll be okay. She’s suffered a broken wrist, some bruising, and a concussion, but she’s one of the toughest officers I’ve ever seen. I spoke with her girlfriend earlier and she’s already itching to get out of the hospital bed.” he chuckled. "They didn't catch the guy, but a witness got a decent look at the car before they sped off."

“I have to go.” Waverly stood, thanked the Chief for his time, and quickly left. As she hurried to her car, her mind rushed of the things she said to Nicole, and how wrong she was about everything. Nicole was telling the truth. She couldn’t have left the note she found this morning. And she yelled at her. _God the things she said to her._ She got in her car and made her way to the hospital, guilt continuing to consume her.

She parked her car and walked into the hospital. She hated hospitals. The last time she was here, she was visiting her father, dying of liver failure. She hadn’t been to a hospital since, and had spent the rest of her years avoiding them. She waited outside when her Aunt Gus took to her to go see Wynonna after she fell out of a tree and broke her arm, but as soon as she heard Nicole was laying in a hospital bed, she couldn’t get there any sooner. She found her way to Nicole’s room, where she found the officer  sleeping. She only had a few minutes before visiting hours were over, but couldn’t stand the idea of Nicole feel guilty of a crime she didn’t commit. She slowly approached the bed, tears finally falling down her face. She watched as Nicole’s chest rise and fall, and took her hand in her own. “Nicole, I am so s-sorry.” She said in a broken cry. “I should have never yelled at you. If I had just listened to you for a couple minutes, you would have n-never been hit by that driver.” she broke out into a sob and let her head fall onto their joined hands as she cried over the sleeping woman. She stayed there for what felt like hours, until she felt a soft hand on the back of her head. She lifted her head to find Nicole’s tired eyes looking down at her with a soft smile.

“Waverly, what are you doing he-” she said coarsely. Before she could continue, they heard the clicking of heels entering the room. Waverly stood up straight and let go of Nicole’s hand. She took in the sight in front of her. A woman in heels, labcoat, holding multiple charts, looking down at her phone as she entered the room. She stood for a moment finishing up - whatever she was doing on her phone. Nicole and Waverly exchanged looks as they waited for the doctor to address them.

Without lifting her gaze, Shae began speaking. “Nicole, Dr. Sanders will be here momentarily to go over your recovery process at home. Make sure you listen to him, please. I won’t be here to take notes for you, and please please please don’t embarrass me in front of my coworkers Nicole. I really don’t want another repeat of last-” her words stopped as she looked up to see an unfamiliar face standing next to Nicole. “I’m sorry, and you are?” Waverly held her breath for a moment, wishing she were invisible.

“Waverly, Waverly Earp. I’m a uh- friend.” she looked back at Nicole who offered her a sweet smile. “I heard what happened. I wanted to make sure she was okay.” she said softly. Shae stared back at her.

“Wait, you’re Waverly?” Shae questioned, walking closer. “You’re who Nicole was fighting with last night?”

“Shae please don’t” Nicole interjected.

“Shut it Nicole. What the hell is wrong with you Waverly? It was your fault was so distracted when she left. This is completely your fault! How dare you come down here.” Waverly looked to the floor and clenched her jaw, feeling the tears gather in her eyes once more.

“Shae please.” Nicole stated again, slightly louder.

“As far as I’m concerned you were practically driving the fucking car, Waverly. She could have been killed!” Shae was yelling now. Wavelry felt sick to her stomach and the tears started to fall.

“Shae!” Nicole yelled. The room fell silent. “Get out.” Nicole said softly. Waverly turned her feet to leave, but Nicole grabbed her hand, holding her where she stood. “Not you Waverly.”

“Are you serious right now? Nicole you’re actually taking her side?” Shae scoffed. Waverly removed her hand and stormed out the room, hearing their argument start up again as she left, she swears she heard Nicole call out her name, begging her to stay. She continued to sob throughout the walk to her car, as well as her drive back to the dorm. She collapsed on her bed as soon as she got in. She thought her body exhausted itself of tears, but as she stared at the ceiling, they began to pour once more.

A couple of hours passed, and Waverly hadn’t moved an inch. She thought of Nicole. How beautiful she was, even though she was laying in a hospital bed. She thought back to the day where they had coffee together, and how Nicole did everything she could to make Waverly feel safe and at peace. Nicole made her laugh, smile, think, and in a moment all of it changed. Nicole would never forgive her for behaving the way she did, and for showing up at the hospital without asking her first. She continued to cry in the darkness, feeling hopeless and lonely.

As she turned to her side, she heard a knock on the door. She began to get out of bed and make  her way to the door, but she couldn’t bring herself to plant her feet. She laid back down and faced away from the door, when she heard the knocking start again. Accepting defeat, she stood up out of bed and walked to the door, ready to throw a punch at whoever was on the other side. As she opened it, the bright light of the hallway burned her eyes. She saw Rebecca with tear stricken eyes to match her own.

“Waverly I need you to come to my dorm right away. Please it’s an emergency. I don’t know what to do.” the girl turned on her heels and quickly paced towards her room. Waverly followed close behind her. She knew she wasn’t going to be able to call NIcole if anything had happened, and the idea of any other officer coming to her aid made her want to turn around and leave in an instant. She wanted Nicole to protect her, hold her, tell her everything was okay. Rebecca opened the door to her dorm room and Waverly followed suit. Rebecca closed the door behind her, and she saw another woman, Louise, seated on the edge of one of the twin beds, arms folded and pouting. Waverly turned to Rebecca.

“What’s going on here? Is everyone okay? Are you guys hurt?” Louise began to cry. Waverly walked over and took a seat next to her on the bed. “Shh - it’s okay. Whatever is going on we’ll find a solution okay. Are you stressed with school? Boyfriend? Girlfriend? Are you homesick?” Waverly questioned with what she found the most probable for a freshman to be upset about. She may or may not have experienced these things in her first few months here too. “Whatever it is, let’s talk and find a solution. There’s no sense in wallowing when we can take action okay?” She stated, frowning at the hypocrisy in her statement. She had spent the last few hours distraught over a woman she wasn’t even dating.

The girl took another breath. Waverly looked over to Rebecca who was standing in the corner with an angry pout on her face. She looked back at Louise who was now looking at Rebecca as well, matching her roomates expression. “Is the issue between the two of you?” Waverly asked, picking up on the hints they both seemed to be dropping. They both nodded. “Ok, who wants to explain what happened?” When neither of them responded, she stood up and took a deep breath and exhaled out of her mouth. Her patience was wearing thin. “Alright! One of you is going to sit out in the hall and the other is going to tell me what the hell happened, because I’ve had an awful day and really want to be in my own bed right now.”

Waverly spent the next hour listening to the two argue about the thermostat. She couldn’t believe the two brought her into this. She finally managed to get them to come to an agreement. They could adjust the thermostat as they pleased while they were alone, but there was an specific temperature it had to be set to a specific temperature. The girls apologized to each other and Waverly quietly excused herself from their room. She pulled out her phone to check the time, it was almost 1 AM and she was looking forward to getting some sleep. She looked up from her phone and stopped dead in her tracks. The sight in front of her made her breath hitch and her heart race. She slowly approached her door and knelt down to a sleeping Nicole, her back against Waverly’s door. She smiled as she tucked a piece of Nicole’s red hair behind her ear, causing the officer to wake. “Hey.” she said softly. Nicole smiled. “What are you doing here?”


	6. six

Nicole awoke in her hospital bed from her nap, feeling a pressure surrounding her right hand. As her vision began to sharpen, she looked down to see something she couldn’t believe. It didn’t seem real. She felt her chest tighten as she saw Waverly Earp holding her hand, pressing her forehead to the union, silently sobbing. She reached her other hand to the crying girl’s head, softly rubbing the back of her head. Waverly lifted her head and met Nicole’s eyes. Nicole felt her heart swell as she stared back at her. “Waverly, what are you doing he-?” she stopped when she heard the undeniable sound of Shae’s heels coming into the room. Waverly stood and removed her hand from Nicole. She winced at the sudden loss of contact. She saw Shae walk into the room, discussing the plans for her. 

“...and please please please don’t embarrass me in front of my coworkers Nicole. I really don’t want another repeat of last-” Shae was cut off by the sight of Waverly standing next to Nicole. She had explained to Shae the events of last night when she and Waverly had gotten into an argument. Nicole insisted the topic of the discussion between the two of them was irrelevant, and Shae didn’t press on. She did however blame Waverly for the events of the previous night, causing Nicole to end up in the hospital. Nicole kept insisting Waverly was not to blame, but that didn’t stop Shae from reprimanding her as soon as she introduced herself. Nicole kept trying to get her to stop. As she saw Waverly’s face fall to the floor, she had decided she had enough.

“Shae!” she paused. “Get out.” she said holding back tears. Waverly began to move when Nicole realized she thought Nicole was talking to her, quickly trying to stop her Nicole grabbed Waverly’s hand. As Shae protested Nicole kicking her out, Waverly quickly scurried out of the room leaving Nicole and Shae alone. “Waverly!” Nicole called out. 

Shae came closer to the bed. “What is wrong with you Shae? Why would you say those things to her? I have told you over and over again she had nothing to do with the accident. Some asshole drunk driver hit me and that’s the end of it. Do not try and place the blame on her. If you’re looking to blame someone, blame me. I probably could have been paying better attention. Or maybe the bartender could have gotten me my drink faster. Stop blaming her for something she did not do. She did nothing wrong and she is not to blame for this and I’m not going to sit here while you try and make her feel bad for nothing.”

Shae stood there and stared down at her. The two sat in uncomfortable silence for a few moments, until Shae took her bottom lip in her mouth and shook her head. “Are you having an affair with her?” Nicole was taken aback by this question. Her mouth fell open as she tried to find the words. 

“No, Shae. I’m not having an affair with her. I’m coming to her defense because you so rudely convicted her of a crime she didn’t commit.” Shae rolled her eyes and looked down to her phone. “Shae, I’m not fucking done talking to you. Put your phone away please.”

“Dr. Sanders will be here soon.”

“He can wait. I want to talk to you.”

“I don’t want to talk anymore Nicole.”

“So what you’re just giving up? Can’t we please have a conversation like two normal adults in a relationship for once? Instead of passive aggressively making snide comments and avoiding each other? Come on, I’m trying here.”

“What do you want me to say?” 

“Tell me what you want.”

“I want to be happy.”

“And you’re not right now?”

“I haven’t been. For a while.” Nicole froze at Shae’s confession. “Nicole, neither of us are happy.” she whispered. “I’ve accepted a job offer in Quebec. I have family there I can stay with until my apartment is ready to move into. My flight leaves in the morning.” she couldn’t believe this information that had just been presented to her. “I’m not proud of it.”

“Were you just going to leave?” Nicole looked at her hands, noticing for the first time the bruises on her forearms. She looked back up at Shae, who nodded. “You weren’t even going to give me a chance to try.”

“I was hoping you’d be working tonight. I went home today and packed my things. A truck will be by this weekend to pick up what I can’t take. I’m sorry.” without another word, she left the room. Nicole laid her head back, assessing her newfound situation. She couldn’t lie to herself. She felt a tad relieved. Neither of them had been happy for quite some time, and neither of them had the gumption to do anything about it. They fell into a routine. They’d bicker, have meaningless sex and sleep as far away from each other as possible. Both women would feel relief knowing the other was working the opposite shift, meaning they’d be able to sleep alone. She felt more disrespected than heartbroken. She had spent the last 5 years with this woman, who so quickly was going to leave without a word. 

Dr. Sanders entered the room, disrupting her thoughts. He went over her rehab schedule, and she was required to take 4 weeks from field work to allow her wrist to heal, but could return to desk work in a week. He went over her discharge paperwork, soon being joined by her partner Officer Daniels to escort her home. Shae had called and asked him to take her home, stating she was working late. 

The two left the hospital, and silently drove to Nicole’s place. She thanked her partner, and unlocked her door, finding boxes packed in the living room. Decorations, pictures, books, and an array of other items were missing from around their, or now her, house. It suddenly felt empty. She took the time to shower and eat anything she could find, but found herself consumed with restlessness as she tried to relax into her bed. She checked the time, and it was close to midnight. She didn’t want to be alone. She didn’t want to be in her own home. She pulled out her phone and ordered an uber, setting her destination to the university. 

She couldn’t stand the thought of Waverly going to bed upset, and she hoped she wouldn’t turn Nicole away. The uber arrived to pick her up, and as they got closer and closer to the university her heart began to race. The car came to a stop outside of Waverly’s dorm a little after midnight. She entered the building and quietly walked through the building, pausing before she called the elevator. Once she was on Waverly’s floor, she began to doubt everything was doing. What if Waverly didn’t want to see her? What if she didn’t want Nicole’s apology? What if she still thought she had wrote those notes? There was no going back at this point, as she suddenly realized she was standing outside of Waverly’s room. She took a deep breath and knocked lightly. As she waited, she went over her apology in her own mind. After she received no response, she knocked again a little harder. Still no response. “Waverly? It’s Nicole. Are you awake?” She said. When she still received no response, she turned to leave. She set her head back, and slid down to the floor, a wave of exhaustion hitting her. 

She wasn’t sure when she had fallen asleep, but the feeling of contact on the side of her face caused her to stir. She opened her eyes to see the most beautiful woman kneeling next to her, a soft smile on her face.  

“Hey. What are you doing here?” Nicole smiled at Waverly seeming to be happy to see her. Waverly’s face grew concerned. “Is everything okay? Are you okay?” 

“Yeah yeah I’m fine. I’m sorry, I guess I’m more tired than I thought. Can we talk for a minute? I wanted to apologize for earlier.” Nicole tried to continue but Waverly stopped her, insisting they talk in her dorm. Nicole struggled to get up, still extremely sore and weak from her accident. Waverly wrapped her arm around Nicole’s waist, and moved Nicole’s arm around her shoulders and helped her off of the ground, careful not to hurt her wrist. They stood for a second, enjoying the lack of space between them, before Waverly moved out from Nicole’s embrace to open the door. 

Waverly helped Nicole sit on her bed, and offered her a water bottle. “Thank you.” she said as she took a swig, waiting for Waverly to sit down next to her. “Waverly listen, I am so so sorry for what Shae said. Please don’t believe any of it. She was looking for someone to blame.” Waverly’s face fell, but shot back up when Nicole rested a hand on Waverly’s. “You did nothing wrong. I understand the position you found me in, but I swear to you I didn’t leave that note. I was leaving the bar when I saw it on your windshield. I shouldn’t have even picked it up, but after you told me what had been happening I just couldn’t walk away from it. I promise you I would never toy with you like that.”

“I know Nicole. I found another note today, on my door. When I went down to the station to confront you, your captain told me what happened. I know it’s not you. I’m sorry I yelled at you.” she looked back down and shook her head. “Nicole if I hadn’t, you may not have gotten hurt. If I would have stayed and listened you wouldn’t have left the bar when you did.” Nicole saw tears begin to well in her eyes again. 

“Hey” she reached out and wiped a tear from her cheek that had fallen. “There are a whole lot of ifs here. There are so many things that could have happened last night. A whole lot worse could have happened. We can’t control everything that happens. Some things just do. But I’m here. And I’m okay. That’s all that matters. I can’t stand the idea of you thinking this was in any way your fault.” Waverly nodded. 

“I can’t believe I’m the one crying when you’re the one who is hurt.” Waverly laughed. “I can’t believe you came over here. You must be exhausted.” she hesitated before continuing. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but does Shae know you’re here?” Nicole was hoping this question wasn’t going to come up. She was embarrassed to find out her girlfriend had left her while she was still in the hospital and didn’t want to admit it to anyone. No matter how embarrassing she found it, she hated the idea of lying to Waverly even more. She took a deep breath, wincing at the pain it caused her. 

“Listen I don’t want you to think it had anything to do with what happened at the hospital, but-” Waverly furrowed her brow “Shae broke up with me. After you left. She had already planned it. The argument just progressed it. It was going to happen no matter what.” she watched Waverly’s face process the information presented to her. They sat in silence until Nicole started again. “Waverly? Are you okay? I really didn’t mean to upset you.”

“No no you’re fine. I’m just- it’s been a really long day. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe she did that. That’s so-” Nicole looked at Waverly, silently asking her to continue. She saw Waverly’s expression change from sympathetic to angry, finally to disgusted.  “That’s so heartless. How could she do that to you? I have the mind to go down there and kick her ass for you.” Nicole began laughing, causing the younger girls demeanor to soften. “I’m serious, kind of” She chuckled. “You don’t deserve to be treated that way.”

“I’m okay, I promise. I’m shaken up by it and apparently she owns half the items in my house but I’ll be okay. We weren’t happy. We haven’t been in a long time. She always not so secretly resented me for joining the force and it really destroyed our relationship. We had our 5 year anniversary last week and neither of us cared to do anything for it, but we were both too chicken shit to do anything about it. I guess she was the one who finally had enough.”

“If you weren’t happy why did you stay?” Waverly asked.

“I never felt like I was as good as her. When I met her, she was this beautiful hot shot med student who was so confident in herself and in what she did. I felt lucky to be with someone like that. She was never terribly affectionate or comforting, but she was really smart and organized and she wanted me.  At least I thought she did. Things took a nosedive when I enrolled in the police academy. She never supported it. Said I was selfish. I think from that day on, she kept looking for reasons to be unhappy. And I let her. I guess I didn’t try hard enough.” 

“Nicole you’re amazing you know that right?  You’re sweet and funny and selfless. You came here from the hospital to make sure I was okay. Some random girl who yelled at you last night.” she laughed. “Don’t lose sight of how incredible you are. And for the record, I’ve nothing but bad experiences with her. Between you and me,” she beckoned her finger towards Nicole, insisting she move closer “I think you’re more beautiful than her,” she whispered with a smile. Nicole realized she had been holding Waverly’s hand throughout their entire conversation. She felt her cheeks blush, whether it was from Waverly’s words on the contact between them. 

“You’re not just some random girl Waverly.” Nicole said softly. Waverly’s smiled faded and her lips parted. Nicole felt her heart race as she met Waverly’s gaze. Nicole felt her breathing quicken, but suddenly felt dizzy. She closed her eyes and brought her hands to her head. “Fuck.” she breathed. 

“Nicole? Nicole are you okay?” Waverly panicked, scooting closer to Nicole and began rubbing her back. Nicole nodded slowly.

“Yeah I uh just got really dizzy for a second. I think maybe being hit by a car might have something to do with it. It wore me out.” She joked. “ I should probably go and get some rest.” She stood and immediately fell forward, landing on her side and gasped in pain. Waverly shot up immediately and got down next to her. “I’m fine I’m fine. Just a little weak still.”

“You poor thing. You’re not going home, why don’t you stay here tonight? I don’t want you to be alone. I’ll take the floor.” Waverly offered, helping Nicole off of the ground. She continued to hold onto the officer, making sure she didn’t fall again. Nicole hesitated. She didn’t want Waverly to sleep on the ground, but she didn’t want to be alone either. She didn’t want to overstep and suggest the both sleep in the same twin bed, no matter how comforting and wonderful it sounded. 

“I can’t ask you to do that. Maybe you could-” Nicole paused. “Maybe you come back to my place. If you really don’t want me to be alone. You could sleep on the couch. You know only if you wanted to.” Waverly smiled brightly. 

“Sure let’s go. Let me pack a small bag. SIt back down on the bed while I grab my things.” Nicole watched as Waverly quickly moved through her room, packing a tote with clothes, toiletries, and her charger. She couldn’t help but smile, watching the younger girl focused on packing. It didn’t take more than 2 or 3 minutes, but she couldn’t keep her eyes off of Waverly. She was brought to her feet and Waverly once more put her arm around her helping her remain standing as they walked through the building, making their way to Waverly’s car. 

The ride back to Nicole’s place was quiet. She put Nicole’s address into the GPS so Nicole wouldn’t have to focus on giving Waverly’s directions in her exhausted state. About 5 minutes into the drive, Waverly stole a glance at a Nicole to find Nicole looking down her body. Once Nicole looked back at her face, they both smiled, matching crimson invading both sets of cheeks. Nicole turned to look out the window, trying to contain her smile. She was suddenly hit with a wave of guilt. Should she be feeling this happy to have someone over, someone she was attracted to. She had nothing but good intentions, Waverly would sleep on the couch, far far away from Nicole. Tomorrow she would leave and Nicole would try to  adjust to her new life. 

As they approached Nicole’s home, she looked at the driveway to see Shae’s vehicle parked outside, trunk open with some boxes inside. She looked over to Waverly, who was clenching her jaw. It was almost 2 AM at this point, and both women were exhausted. Nicole asked Waverly to stay in the car, but not to leave. She exited the vehicle and weakly walked through the open front door, finding Shae with a box walking towards her, startling the doctor. 

“Nicole, where did you come from? Jesus I thought you were asleep in the bedroom. I didn’t want to wake you. I’m just getting some of my things. Where were you?” when Nicole didn’t answer Shae walked closer, looking outside to see Waverly standing outside of the car. “Real nice. Sure didn’t take you long did it? It’s been what 4,5 hours since you left the hospital?” Shae pushed passed her, causing NIcole to grip the door frame to prevent her from falling. “You’ve got some nerve coming here Waverly.” Shae yelled, still walking towards her car. “You’re lucky Nicole and I are over or you and I would be having some words.” Nicole completely lost her balance and fell to the ground. “Have a nice life together assholes.” Waverly ran over to Nicole, as Shae drove away. Nicole, overwhelmed by the physical pain and Shae’s exit, couldn’t hold back her sobs as Waverly wrapped her arms around her, gently rocking her back and forth. The two sat in the doorway like this for a couple of minutes, until Waverly finally convinced Nicole to help her get up and get ready for bed. 

Waverly walked Nicole to her bedroom and had her lay on the bed. She removed her shoes and looked through the drawers and found her some pajamas. Nicole took the clothes from her and painfully stood, placing the garments on the bed. Waverly watched the girl stand, and gulped when they were face to face. Nicole wrapped her arms around Waverly’s waist and brought her head down to her shoulder. Waverly quickly responded to the embrace, wrapping her arms around Nicole’s neck and closed her eyes.

“Thank you,” Nicole whispered. They pulled apart and Waverly softly kissed Nicole on the cheek and smiled. She turned to leave the room, stopping in the doorway. “Goodnight Waverly.”

“Goodnight Nicole, I’ll be here when you wake up.” Waverly returned. She closed the door and Nicole sighed. After changing into her sleepwear and climbed into her bed. Not long after, she was sound asleep, tightly squeezing a pillow next to her. 


	7. seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love your comments, keep them coming. :) I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story. I hope you guys continue to support it!

Waverly woke only a few short hours after she fell asleep. The couch wasn’t terribly comfortable, and she was constantly worrying about Nicole. Moving as quietly as she could, she made her way to Nicole’s room where the door had been cracked open. She peered into the room to see Nicole,  _ adorably, _ laying on her stomach with one arm and one leg dangling off of the bed, lightly snoring and drooling. Waverly crossed the room to the bed, sitting her back against the night stand next to Nicole. She stared at the sleeping woman, watching her back rise and fall. She felt infatuation, admiration, so many “ _ ations _ ” looking at Nicole. Her heart felt full for the first time in a while. It took every ounce of willpower not to climb into bed and cuddle Nicole for the rest of her life. She looked at the bruises running up and down her arms and back. She lightly traced the outline of bruise on her bicep, feeling Nicole’s muscle twitch under the touch. She quickly drew her hand back, as the other woman stirred. She didn’t wake, just shifted and groaned. Waverly smiled again, glancing up at the alarm clock on the nightstand above her.  _ 6:27 AM. _ She decided to use the couple of hours she had to study in Nicole’s quiet home. She left the bedroom, leaving the door cracked. She grabbed her books and worked at the kitchen table. 

Before she knew it, her eyes were opening to the sound of sizzling. She slightly lifted her head out of her textbook, and looked towards the stove, her eyes adjusting to the sun now fully risen. She saw Nicole, back to her flipping an omelette. She smiled, watching the woman sway slightly, humming something quietly. She noticed another omelette sitting on a plate on the counter next to her. “Why Officer Haught are you making me breakfast?” Waverly suddenly with her best southern belle accent. Nicole turned her head, offering a wide smile and giggled softly.

“Yes ma’am I am. Only proper I take care of a lady that took care of me.” Nicole returned. She plated the second portion and brought the entrees to the table. Waverly moved her books out of the way, and happily took the plate. They enjoyed their breakfast together, Nicole explained her recovery plan when Waverly had asked how she was feeling this morning. Waverly listened intently, taking notes in her mind all the ways she was going to help. Nicole was feeling better than the day before, but still not struggling with her body aching and fighting to stay standing. The doctors had sent her home with some anti-inflammatory and pain medication, which she took with breakfast. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do with myself for the next week honestly.” reality seemed to strike Nicole and Waverly. She was required to take time off work, and sit alone in an empty house, without a car.”I can’t go to work, I don’t have a girlfriend, I don’t have a car. I barely had enough in my fridge to make us these.”

“Hey I’ll help you. Let’s go to the store today and make sure you have what you need. I can’t really help you with the car part, but until you have it sorted out I’ll take you where you need to go. And don’t think I won’t gladly bring you my homework if you’re looking for work to do!” she exclaimed. Waverly purposefully left the “girlfriend” part out of her proposal, not wanting to make Nicole uncomfortable. She wasn’t even sure if Nicole had any real interest in her, and she didn’t want to push Nicole during this vulnerable time. “It’s going to be okay,” She placed a hand on Nicole’s knee “You’re not going to have to go through this alone.” 

Nicole smiled her signature dimpled grin, and Waverly felt her cheeks flush, removing her hand from Nicole’s leg.. “Let’s finish breakfast and we’ll head to the store. Do you have anywhere else you need to go today?”

Nicole shook her head, looking suddenly concerned. “Do you not have classes today? As much as i appreciate this, if you have work to do or classes to attend, I don’t want to be the reason you’re blowing off your studies.”

“I’m not blowing off my studies. Yes I would be missing class today, but I’ve never missed a class. I even go when I’m sick! I’m two days ahead of my homework, but I will work on it more when we get back if you so strongly insist.” Nicole rolled her eyes and began chuckling. “I’m serious Nicole! Don’t laugh at me.” she continued to laugh. “Okay what is so funny?”

‘Nothing, nothing. You’re just cute is all.” she smiled and looked down at her lap. Waverly was convinced she’d never have to wear blush again with the amount of red constantly hitting her cheeks when she was around Nicole. Nicole stood and took the empty plates, quietly rinsed them and place them in the dishwasher. She kept her back to Waverly, sighing heavily. “Waverly I’m so-”

“Thank you so much for breakfast. It was delicious! I’m going to freshen up and change, then we’ll go. Sound good?” Waverly smiled. Nicole looked back and mirrored her smile, nodding happily. Waverly escorted herself into the second bathroom, freshening her hair and makeup and brushing her teeth. She had to interject when she felt Nicole beginning to apologize for her comment. She didn’t want her to take it back, but also didn’t want to address it. Let it be. It was harmless, and it was flattering. 

She met with Nicole in the living once they were both ready and Waverly couldn’t contain her excitement to spend the day with the officer. She loved helping people, it was why she so quickly jumped on the opportunity to become an RA. The paid room and board didn’t hurt either. She felt satisfied every time she helped someone find their way around, give advice for a project, or help settle an altercation and she hardly knew most of those students. She was still getting to know each other, but she considered them friends. 

The two women sang together in the car on their way to grocery store. Waverly followed closely behind as Nicole filled her cart with fruits, veggies, snacks, and ingredients for quick meals she could make for one… or two. Waverly concluded it must have been out of habit, or maybe she was going to meal prep for the week. She cocked a brow when Nicole grabbed a box of Twinkies. “Guilty pleasure of yours?” Waverly giggled.

“Hey don’t judge me. I’m healthy and fit. I can enjoy these every once in a while. Shae would never left me get them. She’d go on a rant about what all the sugar does to your body. She kept a pretty strict diet, which while not a bad thing I was always of the belief you could indulge a little. Just not all the time. I know how to take care of my body.” Waverly couldn’t agree more, watching Nicole’s hips lightly sway as she pushed the cart down the aisle. She stopped behind Nicole, who was currently looking through the loaves of bread and grabbed a box of Zebra Cakes. 

“My guilty pleasure.” Waverly teased. Nicole chuckled. “These are like the holy grail. They are sugary and spongy and probably not even food, but dammit if I don’t love these things. They rot my teeth as a kid, and my Aunt Gus had to pry them from me because I practically slept with the box.” Wavelry laughed. Nicole smiled and sighed, grabbing the box from Waverly and tossing it into the cart. “What are you doing?”

“We can indulge together.” Nicole smiled, starting to push the cart again. They finished shopping and headed to the checkout line. Waverly noticed Nicole didn’t even hesitate to place the box of cakes with the rest of her groceries. Once Nicole paid for her items, Waverly took the cart and began pushing it to the car. Nicole was seemingly growing tired, so Waverly insisted she sit in the car while loading the groceries in the back of her jeep. Soon she joined Nicole in the car, asking if she had anywhere else she needed to go. When Nicole shook her head and thanked her, she turned on the car and began driving back to Nicole’s place. 

Gaining some of her strength back from resting in the car, Nicole helped Waverly put the groceries away. She got a call from her insurance company, explaining she was given a rental car for the time being until her claim was processed and she’d be given a check to buy a new car. She was going to have to go to the airport rental car center, which was about a 5 minute drive from the University. Waverly agreed to take Nicole to get her rental, however couldn’t help feeling disappointed that Nicole wouldn’t need Waverly to drive her around. 

_ “What if she doesn’t want to see me anymore? Do I ask for her number? What if she thinks I was only doing this cause I felt bad for her. Does she think we’re friends or was I just someone who was helping her? I mean she showed up at my door in the middle of the night, she has to care somewhat right? What if she doesn’t even like m-”  _ The thoughts flooding Waverly’s mind were interrupted by the sound of Nicole, sitting next to her in the car as they drove to the airport. 

“Are you alright? You’ve been really quiet, you seem lost in thought. Did I upset you?” Nicole worriedly asked. 

“How come we’re always asking each other if the other is alright? It’s becoming a habit between us.” Waverly joked, offering a small smile. “I’m okay. God these last two days have just been so crazy I just haven’t had a chance to really take everything in. I guess, I’m just wondering” she paused, looking at Nicole who held a confused look “where do we go from here?” Nicole seemed to understand what she was saying. 

“What day is it, Friday? Do you have any classes tomorrow? I only ask because i’m pretty sure if anyone would take a weekend course it would be you.” Waverly shook her head, rolling her eyes. “Great, how about you come over tomorrow night and we’ll watch one of those Ruth Gordon movies you keep telling me about. I’ll make us dinner. Did you really think I wouldn’t want to see you again since you don’t need to drive me around? Are you crazy lady?” Nicole laughed. “Sorry you’re stuck with me now.” Waverly smiled widely again. 

They arrived at the car rental center, quickly finalized plans for Saturday night, and quickly exchanged phone numbers. Waverly noticed she had a few texts from Wynonna, Chrissy, and Champ all asking where she was and if she was okay. She replied to the messages, explaining she had been with a friend, but was coming back to the campus. 

She parked her car in her usual spot, and decided to go back to her dorm to shower before going to the library to work on homework. She was planning to work on it at Nicole’s but when she was told to get her rental car, it just made sense that she go back to her dorm and let Nicole have some time to herself. She was ecstatic to know she was going to see the officer the next day, and it was all she could think about on the elevator ride up to her floor. As she turned the corner of her hallway, she saw Wynonna and Chrissy standing at her door, speaking to Officer Daniels, Nicole’s partner. 

“Waverly!” they shouted in unison, both running towards her. “Where the fuck have you been?” Chrissy shouted, slapping her arm. “We’ve been worried sick about you. You haven’t answered any of our texts and you didn’t show up to class. That’s not like you! Even Champ hadn’t heard from you and he’s practically stalking you.”

“I even twisted his nuts to make sure he wasn’t lying.” Wynonna added. “You can’t just disappear like that. We didn’t know what to do so we called campus police. They sent us Officer Dickeys over here.”

“Ms. Earp I recommend next time you go on a hiatus, you inform those around you. We were going to form a missing persons task force which would have cost the department a lot of taxpayers dollars because of negligence. Please be more cautious.” The officer reprimanded, leaving the three women.

“Jesus what’s got his panties in a twist. Seriously babygirl, you had us panicked.” Wynonna started again. “Where the fuck have you been girly? Or more importantly, who have you been doing?”

“Wynonna please. I texted you guys back on my way here. I’m guessing neither of you checked your phones?” The two shook their head. “Okay, that’s what I figured. Now I appreciate the concern, but I’m a grown woman. You two can’t call the cops every time I’m not home! I’ve only been gone for a half a day at most. I have other friends you know! Why are you guys pestering me about who I was spending time with, I’ve been here for all of 3 minutes and already with the constant questions!” The other women, looked at each other each raising a brow and slyly smiling.

“Waverly, who were you with?” Chrissy asked. “You’re awfully defensive right now. All she asked was where you’ve been. We’re not giving you the third degree love. We love you and were just concerned. It’s not like you to just disappear for a day, let alone blow off your classes. We care about you honey.”

Waverly sighed, knowing she’d have to come clean. “Okay, come inside. I need to take a quick shower, but then I’ll explain. It’s kind of a long story.” She grabbed her keys and opened the door, stopping abruptly. Seeing a single piece of paper at her feet. “Hold on!” she jumped inside and slammed the door behind her. She had been so preoccupied with Nicole, and now Wynonna and Chrissy she hadn’t even thought about the notes she had been receiving. She leaned down and pick up the papers, as well as grabbing the one out of her bag that she had never finished. One by one she read the letters. 

_ Waverly _

_ Darling. My light. You shine.  _

_ You are not my Eve. You are the fruit in the garden.  _

_ I count the days till we meet.  _

_ Felix Culpa _

_ Sincerely Yours, _

_ M _

 

_ Waverly _

_ Do you think of me?  _

_ Do you think of what we could be?  _

_ Do you think of what I could show you? _

_ What I deserve to show you?  _

_ I’ll show you. Counting the days.  _

_ Tempes fugit, non autem memoria _

_ Sincerely Yours, _

_ M _

“Waverly what the hell? Open the door! What are you doing?” she heard Wynonna yell from the other side of the door. “I know you’re a closet hoarder, you don’t need to clean up for us. I literally ate a pop tart off of the floor this morning.” she heard Chrissy muffled questioning of Wynonna’s sanity as she folded up the notes and placed them into her bedside drawer, noticing a small pile forming. Something about the last note didn’t seem right. It almost seemed  _ threatening.  _ She opened the door and allowed to two women into her room. She excused herself to the restroom to quickly bathe, wrapping herself in a towel before she returned to the room.

As soon as she stepped back into the room, she locked eyes with the redheaded woman she had spent the morning with. Her eyes widened, and Nicole mirrored her actions, slightly drifting down her body. She opened to mouth to speak when Wynonna chimed in. “Jesus you two just going to stare at each other? Waverly firecrotch so sweetly dropped by to drop off your textbook. That you left. At her house. Where you were. All night.  _ Apparently.” _ Waverly eyed Wynonna, silently pleading her to stop. “So Nancy was it? How exactly did you two meet? Waverly never mentioned befriending a mountie, or mounting a friend.” she was face to face with Nicole. 

“Wynonna knock it off.” Waverly interjected. “Yes, I was with Nicole. You know what? She’s a wonderful person. You should be jealous I got to spend the day with her. She was in an accident so I was helping her get readjusted to being at home, and guess what, I get to do it again tomorrow.” she said matter of fact. Nicole smiled. Wynonna opened her mouth to speak again “And don’t be ridiculous Wynonna, I’m not mounting her either. We are just friends, nothing more. So please, just leave her alone.” she smiled, satisfied with her speech. She looked over at Nicole, who’s smile had faded, staring down at the textbook she clutched. 

“Could’ve fooled me.” Wynonna said quietly, sitting down next to Chrissy on the bed. “So nice to meet you Clifford, sorry to uh- hear about your accident. Hope all is okay.”

“Thanks, I’m fine. Like she said, just a friend.” she nodded, staring at Waverly. “Um, here - your book.” she held it out, Waverly shifted to hold the towel with one hand and took it from Nicole. She placed it on the dresser next to her, and smiled at the older woman, hoping she’d get one in return. Instead, Nicole began to back away to the door. “Well I’ll see you tomorrow Waves. Have a good night. It was nice to meet you two.” she waved and opened the door, turning back once more to look at Waverly. She felt her stomach tense, hoping Nicole would stay, or say something. She offered a small smile, and closed the door behind her. 

“Jesus I don’t think a machete could cut the sexual tension between you two. One night stand? Shameless flirting?” Wynonna beckoned. Waverly grabbed her robe, throwing it over her body before dropping her towel and taking a seat between the two girls. “Don’t sit here and tell me that you haven’t thought of schtupping that cop.”

“Would you stop Wynonna? She’s just a friend. Besides, she just got out of a relationship. She’s not interested in anyone right now.” 

“You know babygirl, out of all the words you vomited, none of them were ‘I don’t want to bang her’” Wynonna and Chrissy started giggling. “Someone has a cruuush! Look Chrissy, future Mrs. Nicole- what’s her last name?” Waverly grabbed the business card she had left on her nightstand, handing it to Wynonna rolling her eyes. “Haught? Seriously? Did this girl walk right off of a porno set? Do you think she’ll take your last name? Or maybe hyphenate, or combine even! Herp!”

“Wynonna! Knock it off! I’m not going to marry her.” Waverly defended. “Would you please just drop it before I kick you both out.” The girls moved on to another topic, but Waverly’s mind stayed focused on Nicole, and how excited she was to see her tomorrow. As she placed the business card back in the drawer of her nightstand, she saw the small pile of notes once more, deciding those were a problem for another day.


	8. eight

Waverly walked with a skip in her step to the library on Saturday morning. She was determined to get as much schoolwork as she could before her da-  _ plans  _ with Nicole. As interested as she was, she didn’t want to push Nicole into something too soon or something she maybe didn’t want. If Nicole just so happened to want the same things Waverly did, she wouldn’t mind. She wouldn’t mind a bit. Waverly was confident with her sexuality. She came out as bisexual in her sophomore year of high school  to her family, and thankfully  _ almost _ all of them were supportive, the exception being her eldest sister Willa. 

Willa was never the most compassionate person, or compassionate at all. She probably couldn’t even define the word, but she was incredibly smart. Waverly looked up to her. As much as she loved Wynonna and the relationship they had, there was always something Willa had that Wynonna didn’t. Waverly knew Wynonna would always love her, would accept her for who she is. Willa wouldn’t. But Waverly craved it. Willa always had that hold over Waverly, and she would do anything to appease her. She could say no to Wynonna, and not think twice. Waverly would bend over backwards to do anything Willa said, but she still never felt good enough.

Most of the time it was small things. As children, Willa would tell her to eat her vegetables for her, in exchange for Waverly’s dessert. She’d give Waverly her homework to complete in high school while she’d party with Wynonna. Wynonna would speak up, telling Willa to treat her like her sister not her slave, but Waverly always insisted it was “ _ no problem at all! I love helping you!” _ . It was a mantra, but eventually became a lifestyle. She fought back once. Only once. Willa told her to stop hanging out with all her friends at school, claiming they were a bad influence. When Waverly protested, saying she wouldn’t have any friends, Willa slapped her 11 year old face and told her family was all she needed. Through wells of tears, she told her friends to leave her alone. 

When Waverly finally came out to her sisters, Wynonna responded with a simple “K, sounds good. Just don’t get anyone pregnant.” Waverly couldn’t help but laugh at her response, but also took it as a sign of acceptance. Willa however, left without a word. She moved out not long after, claiming it was time for her to get her own life, but when she didn’t acknowledge Waverly on her way out of the door it was abundantly clear she wasn’t okay with who she was. Who she  _ is. _

She never truly came to terms with her sister’s disapproval. She and Wynonna essentially cut ties with Willa. Wynonna would hear from her every once in a while, but Waverly received nothing but radio silence. As much as she tried to not let Willa control her, even when she wasn’t around she was pining for her acceptance. As she got ready to spend the evening with Nicole, Willa’s words rang in her ears, feeling the sting on her cheek from all those years ago. “ _ Family is all you need Waverly, don’t let those girls let you stray from the most important people to you. You wouldn’t want to disappoint me would you?” _

After spending the day at the library, she gave herself a couple of hours to relax and take her time to get ready. Waverly looked at the green eyed girl in the mirror staring back at her. She swears she could make out a handprint, still barely visible. When her Uncle Curtis and Aunt Gus inquired about the mark on her face, she lied. She never lied, never blatantly, especially to Gus. She was afraid of what would happen if she told the truth -if Gus would believe her, if Willa would punish her. She held  her hand to face, closing her eyes, thinking of cold eyes staring back at her. A snarl escaping the woman’s mouth. Suddenly, the eyes softened. She saw the grimace turn to a smile, and the frigid hand turned warm. Nicole was smiling back at Waverly.

She opened her eyes, smiling widely and she put the finishing touches on her makeup. She had about a 20 minute drive to Nicole’s. Looking down at her phone, she had 30 minutes till Nicole would be expecting her, but  _ if you’re not 10 minutes early you’re 20 minutes late _ ! She walked to her car, contemplating whether or not Nicole was as nervous as she was. Nicole had insisted she didn’t bring anything, meaning she didn’t have any excuses to stop anything, meaning she was going straight to Nicole’s. “Holy shit I’m going to Nicole’s.” she said aloud, turning the corner of her street. She arrived 10 minutes early, just as planned. 

Waverly leapt out of her car, letting a quick breath out through her lips before she quickly scurried to the door. Straightening her skirt, she tried to shake out the rest of her nerves before applying three quick knocks to the front door. She waited, and waited, and waited until she knocked once more. She heard muffled sounds on the other side of the house, before the front door swung open, revealing a damp haired Nicole, wearing jeans and a spaghetti strap tank. “Hi.” the two women stood staring “I’m sorry I’m a little early. I can go wait in my car if you’d like.”

NIcole giggled. “Don’t be ridiculous come inside. I just need to finish getting ready. Make yourself comfortable.” Waverly entered Nicole’s home, walking past her friend casually taking in the fresh scent of her body wash radiating off of her skin. They walked side by side, Waverly dropping to the couch once they reached the living room. “I’ll just be a minute or two, dinner is being kept warm in the oven.” she began to turn to exit to her bedroom, when she stopped and turned back to Waverly. “You look lovely by the way.” she added, turning to her room once more. She closed to door behind her, allowing Waverly to release the breath she had been holding in. Her heart fluttered at Nicole’s compliment, but quickly the flutter became incessant pounding. The room began spinning. Something felt very, very wrong. She was nervous, but not  _ this _ nervous. She rested her head back on the couch, trying to control her breathing. 

She closed her eyes, feeling sweat drip down her face and a sharp pain in her stomach. Next thing she knew, she felt a hand on her forehead and the faint sound of Nicole’s voice, she opened her eyes barely making out the silhouette of Nicole hovering over her. “Waverly are you okay?Oh my God,  you’re burning up, come on let’s get you to the hospital.” Waverly felt Nicole lift her, bridal style, off of the couch and quickly rushed out the door. She felt the woman wince at the pain it had caused her braced wrist. She looked up at Nicole, weakly smiling at the woman taking care of her. She was placed into the car before Nicole got in the driver’s seat. She drifted off as they drove, feeling Nicole’s hand holding hers. 

She woke to a harsh beam of light coming through the door from the hallway. The room was dark, slightly illuminated by bright light of the hallway and machines sitting next to Waverly’s bed. The blinds were shut on the windows, giving Waverly no sense of what time it was. She continued to look around the room, finding Nicole sitting in the chair with her head leaning to the side, uncomfortably sleeping. Her blood pressure began to rise, feeling uneasy about laying in a hospital bed. 

“Nicole.” she quietly called out. The officer didn’t move. “Nicole!” she said louder, jolting the woman awake. She quickly stood and moved to the bed in a panic. 

“What, what’s wrong? Are you okay? I’ll get the doctor.” before Nicole could leave, Waverly grabbed her hand. Before Nicole could continue, Waverly pulled on her arm, silently asking her to lay next to her. She scooted, making room for the taller woman who kindly obliged. Nicole laid on her side, prompting Waverly to turn on hers as well, facing away from Nicole. She pulled Nicole’s hand and guided it to drape over her side, placing her own hand over Nicole’s. She felt Nicole breathe deeply. “How are you feeling?” she said softly. 

“I feel okay, pretty tired.” they sat in silence for a few more moments, embracing each other. She felt Nicole move closer, the breathing being exhaled through her nose tickled Waverly’s shoulder. “Nicole.” she said faintly, hearing Nicole hum in response. “What’s wrong with me?” she felt Nicole remove her hand from Waverly’s, bringing it up to rub her arm. “I don’t know what happened. I just suddenly felt hot and dizzy and like I couldn’t breathe. It’s never happened to me before. What did the doctor’s say?” Nicole lifted her head and moved to rest it Waverly’s shoulder, still rubbing her arm. 

“They’re not sure yet. They took blood samples while you were unconscious to run some tests. They gave you something for your fever until they figure out what happened. I-” she stopped. Waverly looked through the corner of her eye to find Nicole clenching her jaw, squeezing her eyes shut so tight Waverly thought she wouldn’t be able to open again. “I was so scared.” she said weakly, clearly trying to maintain composure. She studied Nicole’s expression, softening when she saw a tear begin to fall.

Waverly turned to face Nicole, reaching to wipe away the tears that had began falling. Nicole, trying to compose herself, wiped her eyes and let out a chuckle. “How is it that the person in the hospital bed always ends up comforting the other.” Waverly smiled at Nicole who continued. “I’m sorry I just got a little overwhelmed I guess.”

Waverly cooed as she rested her hand on Nicole’s cheek, gently moving her thumb across it. “Hey - it’s okay. Thank you for bringing me here and for staying. I don’t think I’d be this calm if I woke up alone. What time is it anyway?” Nicole pulled out her phone from her pocket, illuminating their faces. The clock showed  _ 6:55 AM _ , and she also  noticed a missed call from Shae. Nicole saw her face fall at the notification. “Do you need to call her back?”

Nicole shook her head. “I panicked when I brought you here. I called her to ask if she had any idea what it could be, but she didn’t answer. I guess she must have called me back. I’ll text her.” Nicole sent a quick ‘All good here’ text and put her phone away, resuming her attention to Waverly. Waverly melted at Nicole’s touch, as she moved a strand of hair behind her ear. Waverly closed her eyes and sighed.“I should go get the doctor, see if they have any updates.” Waverly reluctantly nodded her head as Nicole left the bed, wanting nothing more than to lay there for hours holding each other. 

Nicole returned with the physician, and to her surprise and delight sat back down on the bed to sit with her. Nicole grabbed her hand, holding it in her own lap as they waited for the physician to explain. He explained that she was going to be fine, that she had an acute case of diverticulitis. She would be prescribed antibiotics and would be required lots of rest and a liquid diet during recovery. Occasionally glancing up, Waverly saw Nicole watching the doctor intently. She even asked if there was any reading material she could take to educate herself on Waverly’s recovery needs. He explained he’d bring some articles with her discharge papers. Waverly was glad to hear she wasn’t going to be held much longer, secretly hoping Nicole wouldn’t take her back to the dorms. As if she read her mind, Nicole turned to her once the doctor left. “Do you want me to take you back to the university? I will if you want, but just know I’ll probably be checking in on you every 10 minutes.” she said lightly, trying but adorably failing to hide her anxiety. Before Waverly could respond, Nicole continued. “Because if you want to stay at my place tonight, I’d be more than happy to have you. I’ll make sure you have what you need, you can stay in my bed - I’ll take the couch of course! I can take you back to campus tomorrow in time for your classes.” she paused again, grasping the bridge of her nose between her fingers, shaking her head lightly. “I’m sorry, I’m just- I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

Waverly removed Nicole’s hand from her face, “Nicole, that sounds wonderful. Thank you.” she smiled sweetly. Not long after, her physician returned with her prescriptions, articles for Nicole, and discharge paperwork. It was for another 5 hours that Wavelry was discharged. Once she was escorted to Nicole’s car, the adrenaline she was experiencing began to fade. She called Wynonna during the drive, explaining, trying to dodge the questions she kept throwing about Nicole. She asked Wynonna to speak with Chrissy, to let her know what happened but that she was fine. She was growing tired and didn’t want to have another 20 minute conversation. When they arrived at Nicole’s, she insisted Waverly immediately crawl into bed while Nicole made her some soup. 

Before lunch, Waverly explained she’d rather shower, rather than lay in bed. “Do you have some clothes I could borrow? A spare toothbrush?” Nicole nodded, silently gathering the items Waverly had requested. She had been quiet since they left the hospital, giving Waverly quick passionless responses when she tried to lighten the mood. Nicole handed her some shorts and a sweatshirt, and told her a new toothbrush could be found in the bathroom, before trying to leave the room. “Nicole-” before she could continue, Nicole had left the room and closed the door -  _ hard.  _ Waverly stood in disbelief. She had just been in the hospital, Nicole offered to care for her, and now she’s  _ mad?! _ What the hell for? She turned to head to the bathroom, but quickly dropped the clothes and stormed out of the bedroom door instead. 

She found Nicole in the kitchen, who hearing Waverly’s departure from the bedroom and was already facing her. “What is your problem?” Waverly quickly demanded. “You’ve hardly said a word to me since we left the hospital. Did you forget that you were the one that offered to bring me here? Who practically insisted? Do you want me to go?” her body fought back at the sudden burst of movement, her head spinning as she struggled to keep standing, holding onto the nearby wall for dear life. Nicole hurried to her, removing the girls hand from the wall and wrapping them around her body. Waverly buried her face into Nicole’s neck, as Nicole stroked her hair. “What did I do Nicole? Please tell me what I did to make you hate me.”

“Waves, I could never hate you.” she sighed. “I’m sorry. I just- I was so scared last night. Every time I look at you I think about how I found you nearly lifeless on the couch. I’m terrified of something happening again, something worse. What if I hadn’t come out of the bedroom fast enough? What if I had gotten us into an accident on the way? What if-” Waverly cut Nicole off, by cradling her face and lifting her own head to make eye contact.

“You know, this amazing woman once told me that some things just happen. But I’m here and I’m okay.” Nicole smiled at the statement, realizing the hypocrisy in the way she was acting. Waverly saw her face soften, as she let out a sigh. She was suddenly aware of Nicole’s hands, resting on her waist. Waverly’s smile faded as she stared at Nicole, feeling her lips naturally parting. She lifted her hand to Nicole’s face, delicately tracing her jawline, but stopped at her chin. She heard Nicole breathing rapidly and she stared at her now parting lips. She wanted to wait to express her interest in the officer, but as she was face to face, feeling their breaths mingle in the air, she couldn’t restrain herself from leaning forward.

They were startled apart as the smoke alarm began to ring. “Fuck,” NIcole breathed out, pulling away and hurrying to the soup on the stove. “I guess lunch is ruined.” she forcibly laughed. Waverly watched as the woman stayed facing away from her. She shook her head, embarrassment and shame washing over her. She glanced over at the front door, debating whether or not to make a break for it. She ultimately opted to stay, deciding leaving Nicole high and dry for the second time after an awkward confrontation wasn’t a way to a woman’s heart. She turned and headed back to the bedroom, softly closing the door behind her. She slowly disrobed as the entered the bathroom, turning on the shower.

She stared in the mirror at her naked body, noticing the dark circles under her eyes and what felt like a permanent frown. ‘ _ No wonder Nicole didn’t want to kiss me’. _ She stepped into the shower and stood directly under the steaming water, feeling it burn the soft skin on her face. She wasn’t going to let herself cry. She cared for Nicole, and wasn’t going to push her. No matter the capacity, she wanted Nicole in her life. If all she ever wanted was to be friends, Waverly would  _ reluctantly  _ comply. She finished cleansing her body, feeling slightly better than before. She stepped out of the shower, dressing herself in the clothes Nicole had pulled together for her. She ran a comb through her wet hair, allowing it to cling to her tee.

When she re-entered the room, she found a tray with a steaming bowl of soup, Nicole’s laptop, and a note:

_ Crawl into bed and enjoy your soup. Feel free to watch whatever you want on my computer. Password is R4ptorsf4n10 _

_ I’m running a few errands but will be back soon. I promise.  _

_ Call me if you need anything _

_ Nicole. _

There was one thing that was certain, she was not perfect happy being Nicole Haught’s friend.

 


	9. nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mentions of violence in this chapter.
> 
> I hope you enjoy. This is my first fic so I appreciate your patience with the story... I began writing this as a means of therapeutic expression and decided it might be fun to share. I love reading your comments.

Waverly woke in the newfound familiarity that had become Nicole’s house. It was now Monday, meaning classes would force her to leave Nicole’s side. After their awkward encounter from the night before, Waverly found herself regretting this platonic relationship. Awaking in Nicole’s bed was comfortable, but she thought waking in Nicole’s bed in Nicole’s arms would be far better. Every insecurity was telling her to download one of the many shitty dating apps and just move on, but something kept urging her to wait, and give Nicole a solid chance to figure out what she wanted. The two had spent the rest of the afternoon and evening sharing a lull of dreaded silences, accompanied with with stolen glances and awkward blushing. 

As she exited to the living room, she found Nicole still sprawled out on the couch even though the length of her body extended well past the arms of the loveseat. No matter how many times Waverly protested, Nicole kept insisting she take the bed. Deciding she didn’t want a repeat of the night before, Waverly silently gathered her belongings before sneaking out the house to her car. She drove to the university still with plenty of time before her classes. She seemed to be forming a new habit, conducting the walk of shame from Nicole’s back to her dorm. Even though no “shame” was being had the night before. 

Upon entering her dorm room, she immediately found two letters folded at her feet. She reached down to pick them up, immediately recognizing the fashion in which they were left. The contents, however were fairly unfamiliar. Written on each of them was a simple number - 10 on the first, and 9 on the second, both signed by the notorious M. Shaking her head, she added the notes to her growing collection and moved to the restroom the begin getting ready for her classes. She played soft music through her phone as she applied her makeup and pulled her hair up to a bun. She stopped hearing the faint sound of paper crumpling.

She peered into her room to find nothing out of the ordinary. Hearing the noise again, she stepped fully into the bedroom. Looking around the room, she pinpointed the source of the noise. Someone was slowly pushing a piece of paper under her door. The movement stopped as she moved closer to the door as the paper was about halfway through. She stood and watched silently for what felt like hours, the note never moving and the figure blocking the door sitting silently. She began moving towards the door once more, until quickly the note was pulled back and she heard the sound of feet pounding against the hallway as the perpetrator ran away from her room. 

Waverly quickly bolted to the door, swinging it wide open. She found a hooded individual running towards the elevator. She began chasing after them, stopping as she watched the elevator shut upon her arrival. No matter how many times she slammed the call button, it continued to descend to the first floor. She walked back to her dorm room that she had left wide open, to hear her phone ringing. She quickly located it, finding Nicole calling. She couldn’t help the aversion she felt to answering. The fact that Waverly slept alone last night was enough to feel a sting in her heart. She let the phone ring… and ring…. and ring, until it finally went to voicemail. She finished getting ready for the day, and left her dorm for her classes. 

As the rest of her day panned out, the notification of a voicemail from Nicole loomed over her.  She was feeling low - perhaps even lower than low. So low in fact, she turned the coping mechanism she swears she had sworn off,  _ Champ _ . When her classes drew to a close for the day, instead of heading to her room or the library, she made her way to her car. She knew Champ would want her. He always did. Nicole didn’t want her, clearly.  As she approached his apartment, she noticed his car was nowhere to be found. 

Before leaving her car, she checked her phone once more. Two additional texts had come in from Nicole, neither of which Waverly wanted to open. She put her phone back in her bag, sighing heavily as she silently tried to talk herself out of what she was about to do. She didn’t want Champ. She wanted Nicole, but Champ wanted Waverly, and Waverly was willing to settle for something. She knocked on the apartment door, hoping Champ would be the one answering the door. The less people that knew she was here the better. She patiently waited as she heard footsteps coming to the door. The apartment was awfully quiet, far more than usual. 

The door finally opened, revealing a squinting, clearly just waking Champ on the other side. “What are you doing here?” he asked instantly. Waverly scanned his face, noticing the remnants of a busted lip and some bruising on his face. 

“Oh my god Champ what happened? Are you okay?” Waverly questioned as she pushed through the door. They’re relationship was rocky at best, but he was still a human being. “What happened to you?” she asked once again. 

“I uh- got punched in the face. You wanna be my nurse?” he asked wrapping his arm around Waverly’s waist. The second she felt his skin against hers, she regretted every decision she had made in the last hour - ignoring Nicole, showing up to sleep with Champ, and now actually entering his apartment. 

“Who punched you?” She responded. He had brushed her question off so quickly and immediately brought his lips to her neck. “Champ, I asked you something.” she said, pushing his mouth away. “Why did they punch you?” 

Waverly watched as he gathered his thoughts. She recognized his expression, she had seen it many times before. He was conjuring a lie. He chewed on the corner of his mouth and cracked his knuckles as he tried to figure out what to say. “Champ, what really happened? Don’t you dare lie to me.” she said sternly. 

“Hardy! Wake the fuck u-, where the fuck are you?” they two heard. Waverly watched as Champ’s roommate and royal douchebag with cheese Greg approaching them. “The bitch needs to leave. We have shit to do. Get your head out of your ass man.”

“Excuse me?” Waverly retorted, moving closer. 

“You heard me. Get lost. We’re busy. Hop on his dick later.” Waverly could do nothing but scoff and turn to Champ, silently asking him to step in.

“Are you fucking deaf? Get out!” Greg stated once more, grabbing Waverly by the arm and roughly pulling her towards the door.

“Hey! Don’t touch me!” she shouted, pushing him away. Champ watched silently, not wanting to interfere. “Are you just going to stand there?” She asked the boy-man. She turned back to Greg. “How dare you lay your hands on me.” She pointed her finger in his face. Before she could reprimand him more, she felt the familiar sting of a palm against her cheek. 

She felt blinding rage take over her body, but before it manifested itself, the heat turned cold. She opened her eyes, finding Greg staring back at her and Champ cowardly staring out the window. Determined not to break in front of the boymen, she scurried out the door, slamming it behind her. She heard her phone as she re-entered her vehicle, finding a new text from Champ.

_ Please don’t leave yet. I’ll be down in a few. _

Everything inside of her was screaming for her to leave. No, they weren’t together but she had just been blatantly assaulted, and he just silently watched the event unfold. She looked in her rear view mirror, seeing the hand print branded on her cheek. She was surprised to see a lack of tears falling down her face. In this very moment, she didn’t feel hurt or upset, she felt  _ nothing.  _ She was brought out off her gaze by a tap at the window. She rolled down the window, half expecting Champ to yell at her the way his roommate did. “What do you want?” she asked shortly.

“Look I’m sorry, tensions are a little high right now.” he rubbed the back of his neck. Waverly watched him internalize the last few minutes. Her face softened and she let out a sigh. “I can’t be out here long, and you really should go.”

“Champ, what is going on in there? I can tell something is wrong. We only dated for like two years. I can tell when you’re hiding something. Please be honest with me. Maybe I can help.” When her ex didn’t answer, she began to grow more worried than before. “Champ, please.” she begged. 

“Hardy!” they both heard. Waverly looked towards his apartment building, spotting Greg standing outside of their door. He nodded back to the door, sternly daring her down. 

“I have to go.” he quickly turned and headed back to his apartment, flying by Greg to reenter the home. Waverly stared Greg down, insisting she wasn’t someone he could continue to push around. Nothing but glares were exchanged, so when Greg finally turned to head back inside, Waverly smiled in triumph. She heard her phone vibrate in the cup holder, expecting another text from Champ. When she retrieved her phone, a new message had come from Nicole. She finally gave into temptation, and checked the messages Nicole had sent. 

_ 10:31 AM - Hey Waves, how are you feeling? I called earlier, but no answer.... left you a voicemail. Hope you’re feeling okay!  _

_ 2:15 PM - Busy day? I’m tempted to start our Ruth Gordon marathon without you! Lol :) don’t make me eat your zebra cakes! Although you probably can’t have them yet either. Lol _

_ 4:06 PM - I’m a little worried about you…. if you don’t want to talk it’s fine. Can you just let me know you’re okay?  _

Waverly felt a rush of guilt, accompanied by a wave adoration. She hadn’t considered how Nicole would react to being suddenly ignored. She had to have known how the night before had affected her, but considering Wavely’s trip to the hospital she knew that was probably the officer’s main concern. She wanted to forget all about the conversation between them the previous night, wishing she could forget Nicole’s conflicting feelings. Somehow it would have been easier for Nicole to completely reject her, instead of alluding to the chance of them being together at one point or another.  _ How selfish.  _

She crafted her reply.  _ Hey Nicole, sorry busy day today. I’m feeling fine despite the fact that you’re shamelessly flirting with me and leading me on. Watch whatever you want.  _ She shook her head, erasing the last half of the text.  _ I’m feeling fine, thanks for checking. _ She sent the text and started up her car. She heard her phone once more, knowing full well who it was from. She checked her phone once more once she parked at the university. 

_ 4:11 PM - Of course. Did you get my voicemail? _

She hadn’t listened to it. She didn’t want to. She didn’t think she had to. Closing out of her messages, she sat in her running car as she pulled up the voicemail. She allowed it to play through the speaker as rested her head on the steering wheel.

_ “Hey Waves, it’s Nicole.”  _ she seemed to be making a habit out of this nickname. “ _ I uh saw you left this morning without saying goodbye. I hope I didn’t upset you.”  _ she heard a couple moments of silence, then a soft sigh. “ _ I’d love to see you again. Maybe sometime soon? I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you, and I hope-”  _ another sigh. “ _ I hope I didn’t ruin things between us Waverly. I really care about you, maybe more than you think.”  _ Waverly smiled at her remark, imagining Nicole rubbing the back of her neck as she nervously spoke. “ _ I hope to hear from you. I’ll text you. I’ll talk to you later, hopefully. Bye.” _

Waverly continued to smile. How was Nicole able to turn her day around in the matter of 30 whole seconds? She shouldn’t be feeling so giddy after the day she’s had. She allowed her thoughts to subside, gathering her items as she exited her car. Once she returned to her room, she was greeted with what she assumed was the note M tried to leave her this morning. 

_ 8 _

_ Sincerely Yours, _

_ M _

It was apparent, a countdown had begun. Was she going to meet her secret admirer in a week? Were the notes going to stop? Adding this to the pile, she took a moment to look through them once more. It was at that point, she made a choice. Tomorrow she was going to file a police report. She pulled out her calculus textbook, and began working on homework as music played through her computer. It wasn’t until 11 PM that Waverly decided to call it a night on homework. Gathering her belongings and putting them away, she grew concerned looking for her phone. As she checked her bag, pockets, and all around the room, it dawned on her that it must have been left in the car. It was late, but she couldn’t risk oversleeping. 

Only taking her keys, Waverly exited the building and began walking through the desolate campus. It was eerie, the lack of students and the light breeze made Waverly anxious. The rustling of the bushes and trees startled her, knowing someone had spent the last two weeks or so watching her. The idea suddenly struck her.  _ What if M is around? _ They are seemed to be in the right place at the right time. In the library, at her dorm, at the bar. How did she know they weren’t here? She quickened her pace, feet barely skimming the pavement and she hurried to her car. 

As she approached her car, the sound of footsteps behind her brought her to a screeching halt. She glanced around the parking lot, but no one was to be found. She peered into the driver’s window, finding her phone resting in the cup holder. As she unlocked her door and began to step inside, she felt a pair of hands on her waist pulling her out of the car. She released a scream, but one of the hands recoiled from her waist, and moved to stifle her cry for help. The assailants resting hand gripped hard around her waist, pulling her into them. Her adrenaline began to pump through her. She felt her body begin to walk backwards, the hand still covering her mouth. She moved her chin forward, capturing a finger in her mouth and bit down as hard as she could. She heard a male grunt and groan, and used the opportunity to shove her elbow into his side. His hold on her released, and she sprinted towards her car. 

Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she put her keys in the ignition, lighting her escape. She looked over at the man, doubled over holding his stomach. She recognized the hoodie, it was the same one she saw running away from her this morning.  _ Holy shit, it’s M. _ She paused with an overwhelming desire to confront the man, to find out who is it, but the violent encounter made her flee. She drove out of the parking lot, her mind in autopilot as she continued to cry. She tried her damndest to maintain her breathing and focus on her road, cautiously watching behind her making sure she wasn’t being followed. 

She hadn’t thought about where she was going, but before she knew it she was pulling into Nicole’s driveway. She quickly ran to the front door, and began frantically knocking. “Nicole!” she screamed through her sobs. “Please be home, it’s Waverly. Please Nicole please!” The front door quickly opened and Waverly burst inside clinging onto Nicole as she continued weeping. She felt Nicole guide her to the couch, sitting them both down but not daring to release her embrace. She should feel safer. She should feel calm, but as she’s gripping tighter and tighter onto Nicole, her breaths become hyperventilations and her heart races faster and faster. 

Nicole must have noticed the change, as Waverly began to feel a hand rubbing circles on her back. “Waverly you need to try and control your breathing. Breathe with me. In through your nose, out through your mouth.” Waverly listened to Nicole’s steady breathing, doing her best to mimic the respiring. She felt Nicole continuing to breathe with her, the comfort helping slow her pulse. The circles on her back slowed with her heart rate, and she felt Nicole bring their faces together. She pursed her lips on the Waverly’s temple, and Waverly felt her breathing begin to stabilize. “I’m here, I’m here. You’re safe sweetheart I promise.”

Waverly looked up through her tears, surprised to find a matching stream running down Nicole’s peachy cheeks. “You’re okay Waves, you’re okay. Let me get you some water. Are you okay if I step away for a moment? I’ll only be a minute.” she whispered softly. Waverly nodded, releasing her hold on Nicole. As she stood, Waverly only now noticed the officer’s wardrobe selection - a black sports bra and silk shorts that didn’t leave anything to imagination.

Nicole returned shortly after she left with a glass of water, and Waverly desperately accepted hoping the cold water would help with the conflicting heat she was feeling. She felt a strong hand on her back once more. “Do you want to talk about it?” the question was simple, but it hit her like a ton of bricks. Not only was she to recall the events, but vocalize and focus on them. Nicole must have picked up on her apprehension, as she moved closer. “Hey, we don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to okay? No matter what you need, I’m here. I’m always here. No matter when, no matter where, no matter how. I’ll be right with you, if you want me to be.”

Waverly took a deep breath, and turned to face Nicole, feeling Nicole’s hand beginning to rub her arm. “I um- I left this morning and I was feeling really… low. And as the day went on I just kept spiraling. I did something so so SO stupid.” she looked at Nicole, who was listening intently. She felt lost momentarily, but Nicole’s eyes helped ground her. She looked down at her fidgeting hands “I went to my ex’s, to...  _ see _ him.” The hand stopped before ultimately falling to her side. She fought the urge to look up, not wanting to see the look on Nicole’s face as she continued “When I got there his roommate kept trying to get me to leave and I-I didn’t. I should have listened. I shouldn’t have been so fucking stubborn.” tears began forming once more “So when i wouldn’t leave he…” she paused feeling Nicole’s hands surround hers, urging her to continue. She briefly glanced upwards, finding Nicole’s gaze down at their hands. “He slapped me across the face.” the hands tightened. “So i left and went back to my dorm. I worked on homework for a few hours - um but I guess I left my phone in my car. I went to get it b-but someone came up from behind me and pulled me from my car.” she tried to suppress her sobs and continue, her words coming through as shaky breaths. “He p-put his hand around my mouth. H-he was going to hurt me, I could just tell.” she felt a tear drop onto her arm, knowing full well it wasn’t one of hers. “I w-was able to get away from him and… and I don’t know where I was going but I guess I knew to come here.”

Nicole stirred, bringing her forehead to Waverly’s and bringing her hands to her lips, lightly kissing Waverly’s knuckles. She looked up to find Nicole looking back at her, their tears falling in unison. “Waves…” Nicole lifted one of her hands to wipe Waverly’s cheeks. “I’m so sorry. You know you are always welcome here, but you need to file a report tomorrow.” Waverly nodded.

“I was already planning on it. Will you go with me?” Waverly propositioned hopefully. Nicole brought their faces together once more, bringing her lips to Waverly forehead. She felt a shiver down her spine as she heard a soft  _ “Anything for you” _ . 


	10. ten

“Anything for you,” Nicole whispered against Waverly’s forehead. Once more Waverly felt a spiral - _confusion, lust, anger, desire._ No. No. No. No.

“No… no no no,” a flustered Waverly pulled out of Nicole’s embrace taking a stand. “Don’t you dare Nicole. I will not, no, _cannot_ do this with you again. Don’t start being all affectionate and adorable, and make things all confusing for me again. Quite frankly, I don’t think I have the strength to go through anymore heartache so please just do me a favor and stop fucking toying with me. I know you’re not writing those notes, but Jesus you’re almost as bad as him! What with your constant flirting with absolutely zero follow through. It’s like you just want to get a rise out of me, which no doubt that’s what this other sicko is trying to do. Do you not care at all how the shit you say impacts me? You don’t just get to sit there and make me want you.” her last sentence came out, barely a whisper and engulfed in tears. Nicole stared back at her, puzzled at the speech she had just witnessed. “Maybe…” she paused, not wanting to continue. She hoped Nicole would stop  her, tell her she was wrong, but nothing happened. “Maybe we just shouldn’t be friends.” she felt the tears well in her eyes, using every ounce of strength she had to not let them fall.

She watched as Nicole fiddled with her hands in her own lap, processing Waverly’s words. After a few moments, Nicole spoke. “Maybe you’re right Waverly. Maybe we shouldn’t be friends.” she waited for Nicole to meet her gaze, tell her she didn’t mean it. Instead, Nicole stood. Waverly knew. She knew what was coming next. Shaking her head, Waverly ran her hand through her hair, preparing to leave. Instead of walking to the door, Nicole turned to face her, moving closer and closer. Waverly was once more face to face with Nicole, feeling her heart pound in her chest. Nicole reached and grabbed Waverly’s hand, placing it over her chest. Waverly felt Nicole’s heart race, it was practically leaping into her hand. She covered Waverly’s hand with her own, holding it tightly. “This is what you do to me Waves,” she so quietly whispered. Waverly’s jaw felt heavier and heavier the longer she held Nicole’s chest. Once she finally tore her gaze from their unity, she glanced up to see Nicole looking down at her, jaw clenched and eyes soft. Nicole lifted her free hand, reaching to grasp the bridge between Waverly’s neck and chin, as softly as her brace would allow. As she released a small gasp at the contact, she felt the heart beating it her hand quicken. Waverly, deciding she couldn’t wait any longer, mirrored the hand on her neck, pulling Nicole down crashing their lips together.

Nicole instantly kissed back without any hesitation, slow and delightful and full of promise of more to come. Waverly felt an undeniable need to be closer, feel the curves of Nicole merge into her own. She suddenly removed her hand from Nicole’s chest, bringing it to the other side of her face, bringing a whole new intensity to their kiss. She felt Nicole’s strong arms envelop her, pulling her body flush to her own. Waverly slid her hands from Nicole’s cheeks, down her neck, to rest on the top of NIcole’s chest, gently pushing away for air. Nicole opened her eyes, bright with excitement with a wide grin to match. Waverly couldn’t help but smile.. “I was trying to do this right Waves. I didn’t want you to think you were some kind of rebound, but I can’t stand the idea of you thinking that I don’t want you. You have no idea how long I’ve wanted this.” she stated in a whisper. “I cant stop thinking about you. I’m like some lovesick teenager again.” she felt Nicole gently guiding her backwards “You are the most beautiful… wonderful…. strong… brilliant… sexy…” she felt her back hit the wall, as her heart began to race. “...incredible woman I have ever met.” Nicole’s eyes had darkened and Waverly’s arousal began to heighten.

Nicole rushed Waverly’s lips once more, far more heated than before. Waverly found herself clawing at the woman’s back, dragging her short nails across pale skin. She felt Nicole moan against her, deciding it was the sexiest noise she had ever heard, and wanted to hear it again. She reached her hands lower, gripping the swell of Nicole’s ass. The response she received made her body shudder. Nicole moaned once more,opening her mouth to allow their tongues to dance, and pressed her body harder into Waverly’s, slipping her thigh to rest against Waverly’s core. Breaking their kiss, Nicole found her eyes. “Fuck Waves…” she panted through gritted teeth. “Maybe should probably stop. I don’t want to pressure you, and you have no idea what this is doing to me.”

“I might have an idea.” Waverly responded seductively. She took in the vision in front of her - this beautiful mess of a woman, panting like she had just ran a marathon. “Nicole?” she bit her lip. “Do you want this?” she asked quietly, squeezing her rear once more.Nicole closed her eyes at the sensation, bucking her hips towards Wavelry, nodding rapidly. She felt powerful. She felt in control. She felt wanted. She watched as Nicole writhed against her, desparate for contact. “I want this - I want you. As long as you’re ready.” Nicole crashed their lips together once more, moving her tongue against Waverly’s. The heat between them grew with each swipe, each moan, each touch. Waverly felt Nicole’s thigh pressing against her, and she found herself mindlessly moving against it. Her pace gradually quickened as she felt Nicole’s hands grip her hips, pushing harder against her. Nicole broke their kiss, looking down to watch Waverly ride her leg, mouth gaping in awe.

It was unexpected, the rush that washed over her. She didn’t feel like she was close. She thought she knew her body well enough to know when her climax was approaching, but as she moved against Nicole and saw the arousal written on the woman’s face increase, it caused her body to release with a thunderous cry. Nicole’s eyes widened at the event, clearly understanding what had just happened. She stared at Waverly, eyes wide as moons. A wave of embarrassment ran over her as she stopped her movements, and she covered her face in response. “Oh my god I can’t believe that just happened. I’m so sorry I promise that’s never happened to me before. I’m so sorry I’ve ruined everyth-” she was stopped as Nicole brought their lips together, knocking the wind out of Waverly.

“That was without a doubt, the hottest fucking thing I have ever seen.” lips were together once more, as Nicole guided them towards the bedroom. Nicole had hardly touched her but had already made her climax. “I have to say though, i never thought I’d be jealous of my own thigh.” she giggled against Waverly’s lips. “Fuck Waverly I can’t wait to feel you.” She was convinced she had never been so turned on in her life. Even with the release, the tension she had been feeling between her legs quickly returned as she felt Nicole moan and pant against her. Waverly melted at every touch. She kicked off her shoes as they moved to the bedroom. Once they arrived, she felt Nicole’s touches turn from frantic and hurried, to slow and deep. Waverly opened her eyes once Nicole broke their kiss, finding her beautiful lover before her cupping her face, her dimples coming out from hiding. She brought her lips down to meet Waverly’s, leaving a sweet kiss. “God you’re beautiful,” Nicole whispered.

Waverly wasn’t always the best at being brazen and confident, but the way Nicole was looking back at her Waverly couldn’t have felt more confident. She released her grip on Nicole’s waist, bringing them to her own sweater. She slowly unzipped her jacket, not daring to break their eye contact. Nicole thought she was sexy - Waverly was determined to show her how sexy she could be. She shimmied her jacket to the floor, leaving her in a white camisole, which she quickly shed before Nicole had the chance to take in the view. Urging her to make the next move, Waverly grabbed Nicole’s hands and brought them to her hips. Nicole gave a slight squeeze, before pushing on one side to turn Waverly around. Waverly leaned into her lovers embrace, as Nicole raked her nails up her stomach towards her chest. It was agonizingly slow, but after the eruption against the wall she was happy to bask in this slow paced glory. She felt hot breath in her ear. It was slow, short, and incredibly erotic. As her hands found Waverly’s chest, she felt her stomach flip with anticipation. The sensation quickly dissipated, when the hands disappeared. Before she could turn to confront Nicole, she heard a light snap and felt the constraints of her bra loosen. The hands found her shoulders, gently pushing the straps down her arms leaving open mouth kisses in their place. Waverly’s eyes fluttered shut, hearing only the sound of the garment hitting the floor. The cold air around them was nothing compared to the heat between them. Nicole's hands returned to her stomach, as her mouth continued its trek along her neck and shoulders kissing and nipping her way around her.

Nicole moved her hands to the underside of Waverly’s breasts, gently grazing them. Waverly felt her nipples immediately harden. She reached her arms to wrap around Nicole’s neck, turning her head to meet her lips. Their kisses were full of desire and desperation, and they were cut off by a gasp from Waverly as Nicole began rolling her stiff nipples between her fingers. She let her head fall onto Nicole’s shoulder, the stimulation sending a rush to her core, releasing a heavy moan. She turned in Nicole’s embrace, locking their lips together. She pushed Nicole lightly before she had the chance to wrap her arms around her, trying to tug away Nicole’s sports bra. She happily, _desperately_ obliged. Soon thereafter, they were clinging chest to chest, tongues dancing a beautiful waltz. Waverly moved her attention downward, kissing her way across her jaw, down her neck, and slightly bending to meet her chest. She placed a delicate kiss to the top of each of her breasts, hearing a shaky breath leave Nicole’s mouth at the touch. She lifted the woman’s breasts, giving her better access to her pink peaks. She drew her tongue across the first, feeling it harden against her, and repeated her actions against the other. She closed her mouth over her nipple, running her tongue quickly over the mound, beginning to walk them towards the bed. She pushed Nicole onto the bed, releasing her hold on her. Nicole watched Waverly run her hands down her own chest and taught body until she landed on the button of her jeans. She undid the button and zipper, before turning around. She slowly bent over, pulling the pants down to her ankles all while giving Nicole a show of her round ass in a thong. Removing the pants from her ankles was a little awkward, but she doubt Nicole noticed. She turned around and found Nicole dumbfounded. Her mouth hung open as she scanned her body. “ _Fuck Waverly,”_ she whispered.

Waverly knew she had an affect on men, and a smaller selection of women. She would often be hit on by classmates and students around campus, and clearly she had caught the attention of a secret albeit _creepy_ _as hell_ male admirer. She had dated men and women that had made her feel objectified, and she had dated men and women that had made her feel loved and respected. The way Nicole was looking at her now, was a whole new feeling entirely. She felt desperately wanted, but admired. Maybe it was the smirk Nicole wore, but the soft eyes that even after blatantly checking her out, didn’t stray from her own eyes all too long. Nicole saw her, really saw her. She saw within her. For a moment she thought Nicole could see her pain -the lingering shadow she’d often feel hovering, as she sauntered towards the bed. That would be something she’d share with Nicole, but that would be for another day.

She straddled the officers hips, laying gently on her torso to bring their lips together fiercely. She pulled Nicole’s lower lip into her mouth and gave a little tug as she dug her own hips into her lovers. Satisfied with the guttural moan she received from Nicole, she continued her grinding as they kissed passionately. She felt Nicole’s hands wander the skin of her thighs, until finally landing on her bare ass pulling her more firmly against her.

* _knock* *knock* *knock*_

The women were brought out of their trance by the front door. “Who could that be?” Waverly questioned, beginning to move off of her. Nicole shook her head, bringing Waverlys back down to meet her lips.

“Ignore it.” She gasped, hooking her fingers in Waverly's underwear bringing their lips together.

* _ring* *ring* *ring*_

Waverly dug her hips harder and harder into Nicole’s, hoping the sounds of their moans would drown out the noises that were threatening to stop this moment.

_*knock* *knock* *knock* *knock* *knock*_

Nicole sighed in defeat, dropping her head to the bed. “Don’t.” _*kiss*_  Move.” * _kiss*_ “I will be right back, and we can pick up where we left off.” she said with a seductive smile on her mouth before it disappeared under Waverly’s lips. “Just please stay here, and don’t you dare get started without me, or I might have to punish you.” She pleaded, leaving kisses along her jaw and neck. Waverly giggled as she rolled off of her. She watched as Nicole grabbed a t-shirt out of her drawer, throwing it on before stopping to look at a half naked Waverly on her bed.

"That better not be another college student here to jump your bones," Waverly teased. She took her bottom lip between her teeth, causing Nicole to break and move back towards the bed. She leaned down, taking a nipple into her mouth, grazing it with her teeth. Waverly’s hips jolted towards the woman, pleasuring her. “How am i supposed to be able to walk away from the world’s most perfect woman,” she said kissing around her torso. Waverly held her tightly, hoping whoever was at the door had left after no one had answered. Unfortunately, they were relentless and they heard another series of knocks on the door. Nicole groaned and nipped right below Waverly’s belly button, earning a shriek from Waverly. “Be right back.” She quickly left the room, leaving Waverly hot and bothered and aching for Nicole to return. She was all too familiar with this bedroom, but was eager to associate with some more _pleasant_ memories.

Nicole had been gone for a few minutes, far too long for Waverly’s liking. She was supposed  to be using her mouth for other things, not jabbing with the neighbor or whoever the hell it was. After waiting a few more minutes, close to 10 total, she stood and retrieved a shirt from Nicole’s drawer. She opened the door, hearing the faint noise of Nicole talking to someone. “Look guys, like I have said for the umpteenth time now is not a good time.” she heard her voice get stronger as she became closer to the front of the house. “I appreciate you guys, you know that but I’m a little busy so please would you just g-” as soon as Waverly had come into view, she grabbed the attention of three men standing on the other side of the front door. Noticing their change in gaze, Nicole had turned around to find Waverly standing in a tee that was not quite long enough to cover everything. She recognized one of the men, Nicole’s partner Officer Daniels. The asshole that so rudely reprimanded her for seemingly no reason. The other two she had to assume were other officers Nicole worked with. “Um Waves, these are just some friends from work. They were just leaving,” Nicole sternly eyed the men, wrapping a coat she grabbed off of the rack around Waverly's half naked body.

“Oh no no Haught you’re not getting away that easy. Come on we have booze, and I promise we’ll behave. Come on just one drink and they we’ll leave. We figured you were going stir crazy here, you didn’t tell us you’d be having company. Clearly we need to meet your girlfriend, you know make sure we approve of her. Make sure she can keep your ass in check,” one of the men offered with a bright smile. “Well come on man aren’t you at least going to introduce her to us?”

Nicole looked over to Waverly with an apologetic smile, Waverly returning one of understanding and approval. Waverly wanted to know all of Nicole, maybe not quite in this order, but it would do for now. “Fine. ONE drink and then you guys are gone.” She hesitantly agreed. “Come in, you guys know where everything is, we’ll be right back.” She grabbed Waverlys hand, pulling them both to the bedroom. As soon as she shut the door, Nicole pulled Waverly close kissing her _hard._ As much as Waverly was looking forward to her night with Nicole, something about seeing her this adorably frustrated made her happy her friends show up in the dead of the night. Waverly couldn’t help but giggle.

“You’re cute when you’re irritated.” She murmured against her lips. Nicole rested her forehead, trying to gain composure. She moved away from Waverly, acquiring two sets of sweatpants for the two of them. They were a little too big and long on Waverly but she didn’t want to put her jeans back on, not especially since they had been ruined no more than 20 minutes ago. “Hey think of it this way, we’ll finally get to know each other in a less dramatic way right? No one is lying in a hospital or showing up unannounced. I’m sure your friends will have lots of embarrassing stories you won’t tell me.” She began moving closer, until she was able to wrap her arms around the taller woman’s neck “if you’re good maybe you’ll get a reward later.” She kissed along Nicole’s jaw, eliciting a breathy moan. She placed a final kiss on her lips before pulling away. “Come on I want to meet your friends,” she exclaimed giddily, guiding Nicole into her own personal hell.


	11. eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I've still got your attention. The holidays / job hunting took over my schedule and I've only recently found time to write. I hope you enjoy, I won't abandon this story!

Nicole’s friends were nice. Okay, they were more than nice, they were pretty fucking incredible - well most of them. There were three that had thwarted Nicole and Waverly’s first night together. Officers Daniels, Hartman, and Parker. They had agreed to one drink, but somehow that one became two. Two became three, and three became three and two shots. Waverly however, had specific orders to avoid alcohol for an extended period of time. Doctor’s orders. She was one mug of tea in, and now here she was listening to Hartman tell a story about Nicole her first year on the force. 

“So she’s chasing this motherfucker through the amphitheater, jumping over students left and right. remember this was like the middle of the fuckin’ day. This guy turns the corner, and rookie mistake, she turns the corner right after him, full momentum. This guy clotheslines her, knocking her right on her ass. Luckily that dumb ass mistake slowed the guy down long enough that Daniels here was able to apprehend him. Apparently poor Haught landed right on a” he paused, unable to control his laughter. “She somehow managed to land on a beer bottle that someone had littered and as soon she landed on them, the glass shattered right in the ass cheek.” Waverly’s eyes widened, looking over at Nicole stifling her laughter. “She stands up and we see the shards sticking out of her, hanging on for dear life. The doctors had to spend an hour pulling tiny shards out of her right cheek. Do you still have the scars Haught?” she had stopped mid beer at the question, Waverly instantly knowing the answer. Wide eyed, she placed her mug of tea on the coffee table, scooting closer to Nicole.

“Alright Haught, drop ‘em. Let me see.” Waverly giggled. Nicole looked back at her, furiously shaking her head, muttering pleads of discomfort. “Don’t be a baby, baby! Here look,” Waverly stood and partially lifted the shirt she was wearing, turning her back to Nicole and the rest of the group, showing a scar located on the mid left side of her back. “When I was a kid my family and I went to the beach while we were on vacation in California. They had this reef that you could swim and snorkel above, but of course my peewee brain thought it was a great idea to swim closer. I ended up getting too close, and cutting myself on the coral. I instantly swam up to the surface screaming for help. I ended up with stitches and this nasty scar. I heard once though that chicks dig scars.” she sympathized, flashing Nicole a wink. Waverly brought her shirt back down, sitting next to Nicole, grabbing the beer from Nicole’s grasp. “Come on Starsky, show Hutch your cute butt.”

Nicole groaned, rolling her neck. “Fine, but only you get to see it. None of you assholes get to see. I’m not nearly drunk enough yet for this shit.” She stood, turning her backside to Waverly, before telling the men to close their eyes. She slid part of her sweats down, allowing Waverly to see three little gash marks on the right side of her rear. She looked up to find Nicole looking down at her, as she ran her finger over the raised skin. Peering past the standing woman, she saw the three men still with their eyes closed. Feeling bold, she leaned forward leaving a light kiss on the collection of scars, Nicole cocking an eyebrow in response, before pulling her sweats back up. “Alright boys, open them. I’m decent.”

She sat back down next to Waverly, squeezing her thigh. “So Waverly,” Daniels had spoken, for what seemed like the first time. “Do your friends know you’re here or should we be expecting a call tomorrow reporting a missing persons again?” He had been quiet the whole night, offering half smiles and light chuckles here and there. The room fell silent, and Nicole looked to Waverly questioningly, while the other men looked at each other. “Ha ha ha I’m just kidding! I would really hope you would have learned your lesson you know? She did tell you about that right Haught? How she disappeared for a day and decided to tell no one, sending me on a wild goose chase? I guess common sense can’t be taught right?” he smugly put, sipping from his beer. 

NIcole eyed him curiously, but before she could speak up one of the other officers came to rescue. “Oh shove it man. You’re a campus cop not a fucking FBI agent. Waverly ignore this guy, he takes shit too seriously. He berated someone for loitering. Yes, loitering. He’ll do anything to get on the chief’s dick.” All but Daniels broke into laughter. Waverly watched as he pursed his lips, irritation written clear as day. He caught Waverly’s gaze and stared back at her, silently expressing his disdain. She felt Nicole’s hand tighten around her thigh, catching on to the tension between the two. 

“Well, I think ‘s about time we call it a night. Quite frankly y’all have been here too long so uh, yeah up and at ‘em.” Nicole’s attitude and slight slur earned a chuckle from the group, well most of them. The alcohol had clearly caught up to her.  Waverly kept her eyes on Daniels, as he did the same. Nicole had to have noticed, as she took his drink from his hands and drunkenly urged him to get up. Waverly grabbed the empty bottles on the coffee table with a quick ‘ _ it was nice meeting you guys’ _ , leaving the four to say their goodbyes, trying to make herself scarce. She heard the front door open and a smile played on her face as she heard the men praising Waverly, one of them shouting ‘ _ We like her more than you Haught, don’t fuck this up.’ _

Once she heard the door close, the reality of their intimacy dawned on her again. Only a few hours before, Waverly was riding Nicole’s thigh against a wall, watching Nicole practically salivate as she enjoyed the show. She felt hands wrap around her waist, and a soft pair of lips kiss her shoulder, before a breathless whisper tickled her ear. “I’m sorry.”

She turned to in Nicole’s arms, wrapping her own around the girl’s neck. “I’m sorry they kind of ruined everything, and I’m sorry James is such an ass. Please don’t take anything he says personally, ‘s my partner and he’s great at his job but sometimes he can be a bit uptight. And by a bit, I mean completely and totally wound. Now where were we before we were so ruuuudely interruped?” she questioned as seductively as she could muster, leaning down to rest her forehead against Waverly’s. “Mmm you’re forehead feels nice, but maybe stop spinning us s’ I can love on you.” She shut her eyes, and Waverly couldn’t help but giggle, hearing the slurred attempt to rekindle their intimacy. She knew full well that what they started earlier would have to be finished another night. 

“I think it’s time for bed sweet girl. Let me get you some water. Why don’t you go lay down and I’ll meet you in there?” Nicole nodded as Waverly turned to fill two glasses of water, as well as pick up the remaining trash that had formed around the kitchen. No more than two minutes had passed, but she turned to find Nicole leaning against the wall, silently watching her work. “Excuse me miss, aren’t you supposed to be in bed?” It had been apparent that Nicole was a rebellious drunk, as she stood giggling against the wall shaking her head. 

“Don’t wanna.”

“Oh really?”

“Nope, not without you. I’ll just wait here thanks.”

Grabbing two glasses of water, she made her way towards NIcole. “Alright Romeo let’s go to bed.” She pulled Nicole by the collar after handing her a glass, leading her to the bedroom. She felt Nicole’s free hand sneak underneath her shirt, gripping her hip while dipping a fingertip beneath the waistband. The two women arrived in the bedroom, Waverly urging Nicole to change and lay down despite the cloud of arousal flooding her brain as Nicole circled the skin beneath her waistband. Nicole removed her hand with a chuckle, before completely stripping, chugging her water and sliding into bed. 

“Too hot, sleep nakey.” Waverly slid into the bed behind her, trying not to laugh and disturb the drifting officer. When she said she was hot, boy she wasn’t kidding. Waverly felt the heat radiating off of her as she wrapped her arm around her bare waist. She dropped a light kiss to her shoulder, before closing her eyes. Allowing sleep to take over, the last thing she heard was a mumbled “Goodnight baby.”

She couldn’t have been asleep more than 10 minutes tops, before the sound of glass shattering pulled her from sleep. She opened her eyes, jolting up in the bed. Nicole was gone, her side of the bed already feeling cold. Something felt wrong. Her feet landed on the cold hardwood tiles of the bedroom, slightly creaking under the pressure. She paused to listen for more movement, but after hearing nothing but silence she continued towards the door. There were no lights on in the house, no noise, no  _ anything _ . It felt completely empty. She wondered if maybe she imagined what she had heard earlier. Maybe Nicole was in the bathroom but she hadn’t noticed? She approached the kitchen, finding a plate broken in the middle of it. “Nicole?” she called out in a harsh whisper. “Nicole where are you?” Peering into the living room, she recognized the fire red hair she fell asleep next to, sitting straight up on the couch. “Nicole, honey are you okay? What happened in the-” She shifted on the couch, and Waverly could see erratic movement. She moved closer, until she could see over the couch to find the movement to be scribbling on a notepad. Her hands covered in bloody bite marks. There were torn sheets scattered around her, all with the same phrase.

_ Sincerely Yours, _

_ M _

 

_ Sincerely Yours, _

_ M _

 

_ Sincerely Yours, _

_ M _

 

“It’s me. it’s always been me, it’s always been me, it’s always been me, it’s always been me, it’s always been me. Waverly can’t you see, why can’t you love me, it’s always been me, it’s always been me. No one can have you, no one but me. No one, no one. It’s always been me, it’s always been me, it’s always been me, it’s always been me, it’s always been me. No one can have you. No one can have you. No no no no no, please make it stop. Run Waverly run, go before it gets you too! Go, now!” Nicole began screaming wildly, continuously yelling for her to leave. Waverly felt hot tears stream down her face, panic arising in her chest. Her body told her to flee, to run for the hills and never look back. Nicole writhed on the couch, screaming and sobbing in terror, scratching at her own body as if trying to remove something from inside herself. 

Waverly was frozen. No matter how she wanted to scream, no matter how desperate she was to run, she couldn’t move a muscle. She stood there, watching blood start to spill from Nicole’s clawing. She tried to stop her, or at least she tried to try. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from what she saw. It wasn’t until she felt a familiar set of hands grasp her from behind that she was able to move once again. It was only then that she screamed. She releasing a blood curdling scream that shattered her own eardrums. The hands that grabbed her only mere hours before, had returned only this time they were much much stronger. They pulled her away from Nicole towards the front door, Waverly kicking and screaming along the way. She wailed her hands back towards her attacker, but nothing would stop them. She let her eyes close, accepting her fate. 

“Waverly! Waves wake up!” Waverly shot up in the bed once more, feeling her body being shaken awake. She looked around gathering her bearings while trying to catch her breath, finding the light of day creeping through the blinds of Nicole’s room. She was drenched in sweat, but Nicole was wrapping her arms around her. “Shh Waves it’s okay. It’s okay, just try and breathe. Shh I’m here I’m here baby it’s okay. You were screaming bloody murder, must have been one hell of a nightmare,”

_Nightmare, thank God._ “Are you alright?” she asked with what Waverly could see was deepest sincerity. Nicole clearly hadn’t given much thought to her current state, as her bare breasts pushed into Waverly’s side as she held her. Waverly truly tried not to stare, but seeing her exposed chest she couldn’t help imagine the way they felt against and how beautiful Nicole was. She moved her head to draw Nicole’s eyes, immediately leaping forward and captured her lips. Nicole was here. She was safe. She was most certainly not M. She pushed Nicole onto her back, straddling her hips, her tongue pleading for entrance to Nicole’s mouth - morning breath be damned. “Waves,” she moved her mouth to Nicole’s neck, biting and sucking a path towards her chest. “Waverly wait,” she moved her hands down Nicole’s side, firmly grasping at her hips and she drove her own core downwards. “Waverly! Stop!” Frozen. Like her dream, Waverly felt frozen. She knew she should have stopped earlier, _fuck_ did she know she should have stopped. She met Nicole’s eyes, hoping her gaze wouldn’t mimic the harsh tone of her voice. 

She was right. 

Nicole eyes were understanding, wanting,  _ loving. _ Waverly dropped her forehead to her sternum, relieving a breath she had apparently been holding. “Hey, it’s okay.” Waverly couldn’t bring herself to look at Nicole again,” I’m glad you want me as much as I want you, but Waverly you were screaming about M two minutes ago. I haven’t forgotten about how you turned up here last night. Waverly it broke my heart.” she paused, sighing deeply. “I really think you tell the officer taking your statement about the notes. Have you gotten more?” Waverly nodded against her. “If this M is the guy who attacked you last night, you need to let them see the notes. See what a sicko this guy is. Maybe the can assign you protection in the evening at the dorms. Someone to patrol your building. Hell I’ll do it if they won’t.” the tension Waverly felt faded with each word of support Nicole offered. 

“ _ Buthndnvrsyu,”  _ she mumbled against Nicole’s chest, earning a chuckle and a “repeat that” from the officer. She dropped a kiss where her forehead lay, moving her head up to lay in Nicole’s neck. “But then I’d never see you.” Waverly pouted. Nicole giggled and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. 

“Come on, let’s get ready and head to campus. All your professors are going to think I’m a bad influence for you missing your classes. I can hang at the station until you show up. I’ll make sure in good hands Waves and…” at the pause, Waverly tilted her head to find Nicole’s face, urging her to continue. “As long as you want me, I will be by your side.” the smile radiating off of her face was blinding, too beautiful for words and Waverly felt her own smile widen before pulling Nicole into another kiss. It was slow, tantalizingly so, but it conveyed the admiration and hope she felt. She pulled away, peppering light kisses on Nicole’s cheeks and neck. “There’s one more thing I’d like to ask you,” Nicole started in a more serious tone. She shifted to lay on her side, brushing noses with Waverly. “Waverly Earp, can I please take you out tonight? After everything that’s happened over the last couple days, I’d really like some time to spend with just you. No interruptions, no medical emergencies hopefully, just you and me. And as much as I loved what we started last night…” a crimson shade swept over both women’s cheeks, “i’d really like to treat you tonight. What do you say?” without hesitation Waverly nodded furiously.

She didn’t think she could feel so comfortable so quickly with someone. There was always some game to be played in the world of dating. Never seem to eager, play hard to get, and definitely don’t come against their thigh in the thralls of passion. Nicole made her feel as if she could do anything she desired. She was indescribable. She seemed perfect. 

The two readied themselves quickly, stealing light kisses and touches along the way. Part of her wanted to say “fuck it” to whole police report and spend the day in bed with Nicole, but Nicole was far too noble.  Stupid nobility.

Once they arrived to campus, they made a stop at Waverly’s dorm to give the younger girl to change out of dirty clothes, and gather the collection of notes. To her surprise, there wasn’t a note shoved under the door upon their arrival. Nicole sat on the bed reading through the notes as Waverly made her way around the room, gathering specific textbooks and notebooks for the necessary classes. 

“Waves,” Nicole prompted seriously. Waverly paused her gathering to sit with Nicole. “I thought you maybe got three or four notes, this is like 10. Jesus Waverly why haven’t you said anything sooner?” 

“I don’t know, Nicole. I just didn’t think it was that big of a deal at first. But then they began becoming more frequent, and these ones started counting down to something. I only found those yesterday. I thought maybe they were going to introduce themselves or something. The more I’ve thought about it the more scared I am that maybe… maybe he wants to hurt me. I don’t know if the guy who attacked me last night is M, but God Nicole I should have told someone. I know that now, but I was also scared to go through it alone.”

“But now you don’t have to.”

“But now I don’t have to.”


	12. twelve

Waverly loved school. She loved it and she was good at it, but she liked learning on her own. The classes she was taking at the university were far below her caliber. Most of the time, she was half listening while working on assignments for other courses, or reading ahead in her textbooks. Most days she couldn’t wait for classes for be over for the day, where she could leave the monotonous lectures behind for at least a while. 

This was not one of those days. 

She wanted her classes to last a lifetime, if that mean she didn’t have to go to the police station once they were wrapped up. The one redeeming quality of today was that she had a date to look forward to. A date with Nicole Haught, a sweet charming ungodly beautiful woman that somehow seemed to want her back. 

As she half listened to her calculus professor drag on, she ran over the event she was to describe over the last couple of days. The notes, Champ, Greg, M. It was… a lot to handle to say the least. She hadn’t been responding much to texts from Chrissy and Wynonna, just enough to get by. Just enough to keep them at bay while she dealt with what was happening around her. She knew if those two knew what was going on, they wouldn’t let a day go by without asking about it. She also couldn’t trust Wynonna to not murder both Champ and Greg, and possibly Nicole for defiling her little sister. Well, almost defiling her sister. 

She wanted to be brave. Nicole made her want to be brave, and she couldn’t help but think that without her, she wouldn’t have the courage to follow through on going to the police. She would find ways to postpone it, procrastinate until the problem solved itself. It was an unfortunate flaw of Waverly’s. As much as loved helping others, the one person she had a hard time helping was herself. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she’d always put others before her best interest. In a weird, twisted way it seemed to be what she was doing with M. She was concerned with how it would affect  _ him. _

But today was a new day. A new start. She had 20 minutes - actually make that 5 before her class was dismissed, which meant it was almost time. She reached for her phone, deciding to text Nicole. 

_ 3:25 PM: I’m getting really nervous. What if I do something wrong? What if they think I’m lying?  _

She tapped her pen nervously on her notebook. Her attention was completely removed from what was happening in the classroom. It wasn’t until one of her classmates cleared his throat that she was taken out of her thoughts. She felt the desk vibrate.

_ 3:26 PM: You’re going to do great! I know it. I’ll be right there with you. I’ve already spoken with our chief, e’ll be taking your report. We’re lucky he really likes me. :) I knew working all those night shifts would pay off.  _

Waverly couldn’t stop the grin that shone on her face, once again losing herself in thoughts of Nicole. She heard the professor dismissing the class, quickly sending off an ‘on my way’ text to Nicole. She gathered her belongings, promptly exiting the classroom before anyone could stop her. She had friendly encounters with classmates, always willing to make small talk with those around her, but now wasn’t the time. She just barely avoided getting roped into another sorority party planning dinner, quickly moving past the group of women. 

Her feet barely brushed the pavement as she scurried to the campus police station. The sooner she was there, the sooner it was over. As she approached the building, she was greeted by Nicole standing outside waiting for her, holding two cups. “Hey beautiful, I uh got you a cup of lavender tea. I figured coffee wasn’t the best idea but now that I think about it I don’t really know if you like tea or if you’re allergic to lavender so maybe this wasn’t a bad idea, i probably should have asked bu-” Waverly cut her off by bringing their lips together, feeling Nicole relax against her. She pulled away slightly, but sweetly giggled when Nicole immediately found her lips again. A few short moments later, Nicole pulled away pulling her bottom lip into her mouth. “I’m sorry, I guess I’m a little nervous too. I just want to make sure they’re taking care of you.” Nicole’s demeanor shifted into a far more nervous stature. “Wave, you have to remember, i can’t be involved in this case. Not professionally. For all I know, I’ll be a suspect, especially if this gets taken beyond our jurisdiction. Honestly, it’s probably going to kill me to not be able to help. They won’t be able to tell me anything so I won’t be much help to you, but I can still be here for you as your-”. 

It was unreal how adorable Nicole was when she was flustered. Waverly knew what she was alluding to. They weren’t just friends. Friends don’t make out with each other half naked in the dead of night. Okay, maybe some do. They weren’t quite girlfriends, girlfriends implied  _ dating. _ They were only going on their first date tonight. “Nicole, breathe. I know what you’re trying saying. Thank you for the tea and for… being you.” she flashed those damned irresistible dimples, handing Waverly the cup. “Honestly, I’m happy you won’t be involved. I mean don’t take it the wrong way, I’m sure you’d be amazing at whatever you’d be doing for it, but if you not being involved also means you’re safe, then that’s alright with me.” It was that exact moment that Waverly had first considered Nicole’s safety. How would M react to her and Nicole being involved? “Nicole, maybe we shouldn’t- look i still really really want to go out with you tonight, and believe me that’s still happening. I can’t help but worry about M seeing us together. I don’t want him to-” she looked around seeing the swarm of students walking by. They were everywhere. “Can we go inside? Talk somewhere private for a minute?”

Nicole sensed Waverly’s panic. Nodding quickly she turned to open the door, led them into the precinct, and brought them into a empty interrogation room. Nicole leaned sat on the table, Waverly taking comfort between Nicole’s leg. “Um look we don’t know what this guy is capable of right? That’s why we’re here? What if when he sees us together-” she trailed off again refusing to allow her fears to manifest. “What if when he sees us together, he hurts you Nicole. Like really hurts you. I don’t think I could live with myself if that happened, but I also know that I really like you and can’t stand the idea of not going for this. But maybe we should be discreet? Especially on campus. You know, no PDA, we probably shouldn’t hang out in my dorm, dates off campus, so on and so forth? At least till this whole thing is over?”

Nicole put down her coffee, reaching to cup Waverly’s face in her hands. “Waverly, if that is what you want, that is what we will do. It’s probably the smart thing to do, so we’ll refrain from being too public. But I can’t promise that I won’t show you off during our date tonight. I’m pretty sure I’m going to be the envy of the crowd with you on my arm.” Waverly ducked her head, blushing furiously. Nicole brought her hand delicately to her chin, raising her gaze before whispering sweetly. “And for the record, i really like you too.” she dropped a chase kiss to Waverly’s cheek before moving to her feet. “So come on, let’s go talk to the chief. The sooner we’re done here, the sooner we get to go out.”

“Hey Nicole, one more thing-”

“Yeah?”

“Can I get ready at your place?” Wavelry asked timidly. She didn’t want to spend more time than she had to in her dorm. She hoped this would give her a way to change dorms. The strict housing administration was a bitch to get past. 

“Of course. We’ll stop by your dorm and grab whatever you need. So let’s go pretty lady, chief’s waiting for us.”

She expelled a quick breath, following closely behind Nicole as they moved through the station. It was far busier than when she was here before, the night after Nicole’s accident. There were students post brawl giving statements to young officers, the voices of drunk frat boys in holding cells echoing through the building. She did spot Officer Hartman, who tossed them a quick nod before he returned to paperwork. Nicole knocked on the captain’s door, waiting for him to grant them entrance. Once done, she opened the door, Waverly following suit, Nicole hanging back to close the door behind them.

The captain stood, extending his hand. “Afternoon Miss Earp it’s nice to see you again. I must say you’re far less aggressive than before, Officer Haught.” Waverly shook the older man’s hand, before taking her seat next to Nicole placing her bag on the floor in front of her. “Alright Miss Earp, the best way for us to get this whole matter resolved is for you to be completely honest with me. Officer Haught is my most promising officer, and if she wasn’t involved she’d probably be taking this report for me. I don’t want you to leave anything out. If you think it may pertain to the situation at hand, please mention it.” Waverly nodded as the chief spoke. He seemed kind, but stern; a man of authority and trustworthy. “You also need to know Officer Haught cannot be involved. I’m breaking a lot of rules letting her in here. Luckily i wrote them.” his joke helped Waverly feel more and more at ease, Nicole’s hand resting on her knee bringing her down fully. “When you’re ready, Miss Earp, please go ahead.”

And she did. She told him everything, gave him everything she had as Nicole quietly watched, admiring the courage in the younger woman. She explained the first time she found a note, after her first encounter with Nicole, the subsequent notes she received following that night. She lead into the night she thought it was Nicole at the bar. The night of her accident. She laid out the notes as she received them, leading up to the most recent one she had received before discussing the attack the previous night. 

“I was walking to my car because I had forgotten my phone in my car. It was probably like 11:30 at night I think. Once I had gotten to my car, someone pulled me out as I was climbing in to grab it. I managed to bite his hand or finger. I managed to get away from him after that. He had a hood on so I couldn’t see his face. I went straight to Nicole’s from there.”

“Can you tell me about your past relationships? Do you have an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend that would have any reason to harm you? I need you to write down the names of previous partners.” He stated, handing Waverly a pad and pen. 

“Well, most of the men and women I’ve dated in the past moved on after high school.” She continued, writing a list of six names, leaving Champ’s at the bottom. “The only one that’s really still around is Champ Hardy. He lives off campus. I think he’s technically enrolled but he doesn’t go to his classes.  We started dating this last summer but broke up not long into the school year.”

“When’s the last time you spoke to him or saw him? What was the nature of your breakup?”

“Well I ended things with him a while ago. He kept cheating on me and I just had enough of him. I did see him yesterday though.”

“Oh? Where did you see him?”

“I went to his place.”

“What for? Are you two still friends?”

Waverly paused. She didn’t want to say it aloud, especially in front of Nicole. She looked over and found Nicole, jaw clenched staring at her lap. 

“No we’re not friends.”

“Why did you see him?”

She felt Nicole place a hand on her knee again, encouraging her to open up.

“Miss Earp, I need you to be honest with me.”

Releasing a sigh she continued. “I went to blow off some steam, but nothing happened with him. I left before anything could.”

The chief continued his notes, allowing Waverly and Nicole to sit in silence. She felt Nicole squeeze her thigh. She turned to look at Nicole, and saw her eyebrows raised. Waverly knew exactly what she was thinking, the mouthed ‘Greg’ confirmed her suspicion. 

“Um sir, there’s one more thing I need to tell you. About my visit with Champ.”

“Alright go ahead.”

“His roommate Greg Porter. He was there the night I met Nicole too. He was one of students involved in the fight. He was forcing me out of the house when i was there. I couldn’t have been there more than one to two minutes. i should have just left, but he was being such an asshole so I pushed back a bit. Told him I wouldn’t leave. I mean I was there to see Champ so I didn’t he had the right to kick me out. When i wouldn’t leave he slapped me across the face. Champ was a witness.”

“Sounds like we may need to have a conversation with this Greg Porter. Do you have anything else you’d like let us know about?”

She thought about the first time she visited Champ at his apartment since she had begun receiving notes. The strange feeling that seemed to linger around his place and his roommates. How Greg always seemed to need Champ for something… mysterious 

“No sir. That’s all.”

“Very well. I’m going to send a few officers to have a word with Greg regarding the assault. We’ll go from there. If you continue to receive these notes, please bring them to me personally. I’m also going to work with housing administration to get you moved to a different dorm. I don’t want you telling anyone where you’re moving to, or that you’re moving at all. Try to stay in your dorm if you’re alone at night. If you forget your phone in the car, leave it. Be late for class the next day. Are we clear? I can’t put someone on watch for you. I don’t have enough to back up the labor, so I need you to be cautious with where you go and who you see.” he turned to Nicole. “Haught, I know we’ve already discussed this, but I’m trusting you in this. You shouldn’t even be in here right now. You cannot be involved. You can protect her on your own time, but if I find out you’re investigating or patrolling to check on her while in uniform, there will be consequences. Do you understand me?”

“Yes sir. Understood.”

“Good. Miss Earp, I will be in touch with you. If you think of anything else, do not hesitate to call.”

“Yes sir. Thank you sir.”

“Please close the door on your way out, I have some calls to make.  Haught, I’ll see you back here on Thursday. See me before you start. Since you won’t be in the field, we have plenty of paperwork for you.” he said with a sly smile.

“Yes sir.”

The two turned to leave, before the chief stopped them once more. “Haught, a moment alone please.” Nicole nodded, turning to Waverly before giving her hand a squeeze. Waverly gave a tight lipped smile, leaving Nicole with her superior.

She sat on the bench just outside his office, patiently waiting daydreaming of her date with Nicole. Talking with the chief brought her mind at ease, knowing she was no longer alone in this - whatever it was that was happening. 

“In trouble with the law already I see,” Officer Hartman joked, sitting down next to Waverly. 

“Oh you know it.” Waverly quickly returned. She liked Hartman. Probably the most out of the few people she had met recently. He was easy to talk to, and seemed to care for Nicole. After watching how Shae treated her, she appreciated someone visibly treating her well. Waverly learned earlier that morning that showing up at Nicole’s was his idea. After her accident and break up, she had confided in him. Nicole explained to her that out of the few colleagues she had the opportunity to work with, Hartman was by far the most helpful and understanding. They were in the academy together, and when they were both hired by the university, Nicole hoped they’d be partnered - to no avail. 

“Waverly, I believe it’s my obligation as Nicole’s best friend and idol to ask about your intentions.”

“Oh, idol? Really?”

“Yes, don’t let her tell you otherwise. She’s too proud to admit that I am the most important person in her life.”

“Thank you so much for letting me know.” Waverly retorted with a smile, which was kindly returned by the officer. “You know, you officers only refer to each other by your last names. I don’t think anyone ever told me your first name.”

“Mason Hartman,” he extended his hand towards Waverly. “Full time officer of the law, part time garlic bread consumer. I’d prefer the roles to be switched but you have to deal with the cards you’re dealt I suppose.”

Mason. M. It couldn’t be.

“So, Waverly I’ll ask again - what are your intentions with Nicole?” his tone seemed to become more serious. Admittedly, Waverly felt a little more nervous, but Mason still held a kid demeanor. 

Feeling a little more confident, she retorted “Riddle me something Mason, how is it that Nicole is the one that just got out of a relationship, but I’m the one being questioned? How do I know I’m not just a rebound?”

Mason flashed a smile, a genuine grin. “That’s an excellent point. But I think we both know you’re not a rebound. Let’s be real, Nicole wasn’t in that relationship, not emotionally. Not for a long time. I don’t know how well you knew Shae, but let me tell you something about her. Nicole could never do right by her. I’ll never forget a time when we were in the academy. Nicole had asked me to help her decorate their apartment and make dinner for her birthday. We spent the afternoon cleaning, decorating, and start cooking before I left. I’ll never forget the look on her face when I saw her the next day. Shae came in, took a look around, asked what arts and crafts teacher threw up in their apartment, and said she was meeting friends for dinner. Nicole finished cooking, ate alone, and brought me the leftovers for lunch. I think that was the moment it was over. That was over a year ago. Trust me when I say, you are not a rebound. The way she looked at you last night, I never saw her look at Shae that way. That’s why I’m asking you. I can’t stand to see her get hurt again.”

Before Waverly could answer, Nicole opened the door stepping out into the precinct. “You ready Waves? Sorry it took so long. I hope he hasn’t been bugging you too long. Hartman don’t you have some paperwork to do?” Nicole questioned jokingly. 

“No ma’am. I’m saving all my paperwork for you. Gotta keep you busy since you won’t be in the field. Bye Waverly, great talking with you.” he replied, standing and leaving the two women. 

“You ready?”

Waverly nodded, standing to walk with Nicole. She smiled as they walked to her dorm. The idea of Nicole going so far out of her way for someone she was falling out of love with, what would she do for someone she was falling in love with? 


	13. thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did someone say tease?

Waverly asked Nicole to wait outside her door as she packed a bag. She carefully plotted her outfit, knowing full well where the night would end if all went according to plan. She chose a deep purple v-neck sweater, purposefully plotting to not wear a camisole underneath, but wearing a push up bra instead, you know for effect. She may or may not have wanted to flaunt a bit. She was confident in her sexuality. Knowing Nicole wanted her gave her the fuel to make the older girl squirm. She’d pair that sweater with a tight pair of leggings, and a pair of ankle boots that gave her a single inch of height, bringing her a bit closer to tease Nicole’s mouth if she so pleased. If she just so happened to stay the night, she would need her toothbrush, phone charger, clothes to sleep in- well  _ maybe - _ as well as a change of clothes for tomorrow. Better to be safe than sorry. 

All she managed to get out of Nicole was to dress up,  _ just a tad _ as she put it. Nothing too fancy, but a little more than usual. “Not that you don’t dress nice already,” Nicole had so nervously added, realizing Waverly could have taken offense to the way she worded things. It was truly adorable. She was surprised to find that no additional notes had been left during her absence, but who know where she’d end up finding them. She did a quick pass through her textbooks on her desk, drawers in her dresser, even through the sheets of her neatly made bed. Nothing out of the normal to be found. 

She opened her door, seeing Nicole leaning against the opposite hall browsing her phone. “Hey sexy, you come here often?” Waverly greeted, turning  to lock her door. 

“If I say yes does that mean I’ll get to hear more terrible pick up lines?”

“Low blow Haught.” Waverly winked as they began walking. “So you’re really not going to tell me what we’re doing tonight?”

“No ma’am, I’m sworn the secrecy.”

“Two things. One, please don’t call me ma’am. Two, sworn to secrecy by who?”

“Me,”

“Oh my God, Nicole. You’re ridiculous.” Waverly rolled her eyes, bumping Nicole’s side as they exited the building. The campus was dying down for the day. It was nearly 5:00 in the evening, most students were either in the dining commons or in the library working on homework. Waverly hadn’t been back to library since she’d received M’s note there. Even though she had found more notes in her dorm room than anywhere else, there was a sense of safety of being behind a locked door. The notes were always shoved under or taped to the outside of the door. Knowing M could be watching her in the library, dining commons, anywhere public drove Waverly crazy. 

“So what did the chief talk to you about? If you don’t mind me asking.” She noticed Nicole tense next to her, her brow furrowing as the continued their pace. “Hey don’t worry about it. I’m sorry I shouldn’t have asked, it’s not any of my business.”

“No, no you’re fine. I’m just trying to find the best way to word it.”

It must to have been about her. About the conversation the three of them had. Clearly Nicole was trying to find a way to explain that wouldn’t hurt or offend Waverly. Waverly pushed a little forward, turning to stop Nicole in her tracks, clearly startling the older woman. 

“Did you get in trouble because of me?” she watched as Nicole’s gaze dropped to their feet. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, searching for the right words to say. 

“I don’t regret a thing.” she put simply and softly. “I’d do it again.”

“What did he say?”

“He said he would put officers on your case. That between what happened with Greg and Champ and the notes, they’ll probably be able to make some progress and hopefully find your stalker.” she took in a deep breath, exhaling puffing her cheeks as she blew it out.

“But?”

“But he ripped me a new one for being so personally involved. For asking him for a favor like this. I was concerned that if one of the lazier officers took your report, it wouldn’t go anywhere. I couldn’t take it because of our involvement. I just didn’t trust anyone else to protect you. Not like I would. So when I went to him, I told him that. He’d agree to take your statement and didn’t say a word more until he asked me to stay behind after you spoke with him. When I sat back down I thought he was going to praise me for looking out for you. Instead he reprimanded me for not trusting my team and for allowing my emotions to control me.”

“Nicole, I’m so sorry I didn’t mean for you to get in trouble.” she cupped Nicole’s face, she didn’t care who was around she just wanted to be close to her.

She placed her hands over Waverly’s, gently removing them from her cheeks. She placed a single kiss to each palm before taking one hand in her own, guiding them to begin walking again. “It wasn’t your fault. He wasn’t upset at you reporting it, he was upset with how I handled it. If something ever happened to me, I need to be able to trust other officers to take care of people I care about. I wasn’t being fair to them. I need to treat these guys like my own family and I completely disrespected them. There is a bright side to this story though.” she continued, flashing her dimples Waverly’s way.

“Oh yeah? What is it?”

“He asked how long you and I had been together.”

Waverly dipped her head a bit trying to hide her blush before prompting Nicole for her answer.

“I told him not long, that we were only going on our first date tonight.”

“And what did he say?”

“He said he admired me for doing what I did for you. Said you must be something special. I told him that was putting it lightly.”

They finally arrived at Waverly’s jeep. After Nicole’s comment, the two had fallen into silence, enjoying the connection of their intertwined hands. Nicole took Waverly’s bags, placing it into the truck before opening the driver’s seat door for Waverly. 

As they grew closer and closer to Nicole’s, Waverly’s nerves were beginning to creep up on her. Why? She wasn’t sure. She had slept in Nicole’s house, spent copious amounts of time with her, hell she had already been half naked with her. Both their platonic and romantic relationship, while short in time, were full of dramatic meetings and big romantic gestures. This was their first attempt at a normal encounter. One that didn’t involve hospital beds or midnight drop ins.

Once parked, Nicole grabbed Waverly’s bags bringing them into the house, Waverly following close behind. “Let me go grab my clothes for tonight, then the bedroom is all yours. We need to leave by 6:00. The restaurant  is only a block away, but we have a bit of a drive to our second location.”

Nicole disappeared with her bags as she spoke the last few words, reappearing moments later, stopping in the hallway with her back turned towards Waverly. She eyed her curiously, before she saw Nicole turn her head. “Close your eyes Waves.”

That was perhaps the last thing she was expecting. “What? Why?”

“Cause you can’t see my outfit either. Close your eyes so I can put my clothes down and guide you to the room.”

How was she so adorable? How was it humanly possible? Closing her eyes, she heard Nicole’s hum of approval and satisfaction. She heard shuffling as Nicole placed her clothes… somewhere. 

“Nicole how come I can’t just open my eyes and walk to the room? I PROMISE not to look at your clothes. Scout’s honor,” Waverly proposed, only half serious. She hadn’t heard much more since the shuffling. So when she suddenly felt lips on her own, hands making their way to Waverly’s hips, she was startled in the best way possible. Waverly sank in with ease, running her hands on Nicole’s, and lowering them to her ass. Nicole bit down on her lower lip, ever so slightly before pulling away. 

“But this is so much more fun. Keep em closed. Do I have permission to touch you?” she released in a breathless husk.

Waverly scoffed so quickly it hurt her lungs, it quickly turned into a hearty chuckle. Adorable and chivalrous. 

“Nicole I’m pretty sure we’ve established that yes you can touch me. You can touch me anytime, anywhere, anyway you want.”

“This is a little different, but thank you. But don’t hesitate to stop me, anytime, anywhere, or anyway. If you need to. For the record, you always have permission too.”

With a slight nod from Waverly, the world around her shifted. The energy changed. It felt heavy, tight,  _ overwhelmingly errotic.  _ She felt her heart pound in her ears, unaware of Nicole’s position. She could tell she was no longer in front of her, however that’s all she could tell. Nicole had been trained in stealth, if she didn’t want Waverly to know where she was, Waverly would never know. She stood there for what felt like hours, silently waiting for Nicole to make her move. 

She finally felt firm hands coming from behind her, suddenly a body pressed against her, lips coming down to kiss her shoulder. Waverly lifted her arms, bringing them around Nicole’s neck when she noticed something felt, off. She turned in arms, allowing her hands to roam freely down Nicole’s arms.  _ Bare. _ Up to her shoulders.  _ No collar. No bra straps. No way. She didn’t. She wouldn’t. Would she? _ Her hands slid down the front of her, feeling nipples stiffen under her palm. She continued her journey downward, following the curves of her torso with one hand, and with the other gently gliding a single finger down her front, stopping right about where her jeans would hang. Unsurprisingly, no garment to be found. Every fiber of being was on fire, struggling to keep her eyes shut. How she wanted to spring them open and take in everything that is Nicole Haught. 

“My my officer Haught, I feel a bit overdressed.” Before she could delve any further into her body, the hands turned her around. With a gentle push, they began moving Nicole guiding while never removing her grip, occasionally dropping a few kisses on her shoulder or behind the ear. At one point, she couldn’t be sure, they stopped moving. She could’ve walked a marathon or even seven if that meant a naked Nicole was guiding her the whole time. 

“Be ready in an hour,” Nicole nipped at her ear. “Count to 10, then you can open your eyes.” the hands gave a squeeze before they disappeared. 

_ One _

_ Two _

_ Three _

_ Four _

_ Five _

_ Six _

_ Seven _

The slightest echo of the door clicking shut alerted Waverly. Nicole was gone. Naked, sexy, amazing Nicole had left the room.

_ Eight _

_ Nine _

_ Ten _

She opened her eyes, hoping it was all a ruse. That Nicole would be there in her naked glory ready to finish what they had started last night. All she saw was a closed door, and a set of bags on the bed. She only had an hour to get ready, and all she could do was stand there. Stand there and try to work herself down from this high. Never in her life did she think she’d be taking a cold shower, but here she was not letting the dial move past the C as she started the water, before bringing her hair up in a bun to avoid getting it wet. 

The water helped bring down her body temperature, but nothing could cool her mind. If Nicole wanted to play this game, she was all in. She quickly finished up in the shower, stepping out to wrap herself in a towel, before spending the rest of her time quickly getting ready. She pulled some strands from her bun, allowed them to flow freely down the side of her face settling lightly landing above her shoulders. She applied a bit of bronze and gold makeup, accompanied with a light foundation and rosy blush. 

At five to six, Waverly was dressed and ready to go. She was more than satisfied with her outfit choice, especially with the show that Nicole had put on earlier. The sweater dipped just enough to show off her breasts, the push up bra only showing them off further. Her leggings hugged her legs and rear exquisitely, her ankle boots allowing her calves to flex just a bit. She grabbed her coat, covering her torso until the perfect moment. 

She opened the door, walking to the living room surprised to find it empty. “Nicole?” she called out. The house wasn’t that large, she would have heard Waverly calling. “Nicole?” she repeated, a little louder. Before she could call out again, there was a knock at the door. She broke into a beam so bright it may have blinded someone if they were too close. She walked to the front door, opening it quickly. Nicole was patiently waiting on the other side, holding a single pink peony, dressed in a maroon button up, black skinny tie, and black slacks, brought together with a pair of black flats. She was beautiful. 

“You’re breathtaking,” Nicole smiled, placing a delicate kiss on her cheek. Waverly took the flower, bringing it up to her nose. How was this possibly the same woman from an hour ago? What lab could have possibly created this perfect being? “Are you ready?”

With a nod, Nicole brought Waverly’s arm to wrap her own, joining at the elbows. Sure, another nude escort would have been her first preference, but this was wonderful too. Waverly knew the first car ride would be short, choosing promptly to not bring up the earlier encounter until they had a little more time at her disposal. They were quickly at a quaint gastropub called 313, a place Waverly had heard of but never had the money to try. She had been prepared to pay for her half of the meal, but didn’t think Nicole would pick something quite this… pricey. “Waverly? Hey are you okay?”

It was embarrassing. She didn’t want to ask Nicole to pay for her if she wasn’t planning to, but how do you ask your date to take you somewhere cheaper without killing the mood? She continued to hesitate, struggling to find the right words. “Waves? What’s going on? Look if you’re upset about earlier, I’m so sorry. I thought it would be-”

“Nicole, Nicole wait. Stop, please. No earlier was, incredible to say the least.” she couldn’t contain the blush that swept over her cheeks. “No listen, from what I’ve heard this place is pretty expensive and i uh- I don’t have a lot of money. I’m kind of broke.” she gave a half hearted, defeated laugh. “I just don’t think I can afford to eat here. I’m sorry,” she broke into a sigh, feeling like the night was ruined. 

Nicole didn’t say a word. When many moments passed, Waverly finally gave in and looked over to find her smiling. Nicole caught her eye and leaned over the center console, speaking softly. 

“Waverly Earp, I fully intended to buy you dinner. I invited you on this date, I’m footing the bill No ifs, ands, or buts. Except your butt. Cause it’s cute. Can we go in and eat now? I’m starving,”

Waverly sighed in relief, she didn’t want to make the assumption but was admittedly flattered by the action. The two exited the car quickly and walked to the entrance of the restaurant. The hand on the small of Waverly’s back did not go unnoticed. The were seated in a booth towards the back, soft music filling their ears. They ordered their cocktails, Nicole ordering a Moscow mule and Waverly ordering a whisky sour, before being left by the waiter to browse the menu. 

They settled on their choice of entrees, deciding to split a plate of buffalo cauliflower bites as an appetizer. The server took their orders, allowing them to finally begin talking. This was the moment, Waverly decided. It was time. 

“Man it’s a little warm in here isn’t it?” Nicole eyed her curiously, catching Waverly’s mischievous tone. Waverly undid the buttons on her coat, leaning forward and arching her back to pull the sleeves down her arms from behind. She wished she had a camera or a way to replay the moment her chest came into Nicole’s view. Her eyes practically leapt out of her head, cheeks flushing as she averted her eyes. She smiled in triumph, watching as Nicole hopelessly try to keep her gaze LITERALLY anywhere besides Waverly, fidgeting in her seat while trying to contain a smile. 

“Waverly… Earp,” she managed to croak, biting down on her thumb still refusing to look her way. 

“What’s the matter Nicole?” feigning ignorance. To make matters worse, she placed her arms on the table, bringing her chest to rest atop. “Feeling a little hot yourself?” she raised her foot under the table running it up Nicole’s toned calf. 

Nicole finally broke, tearing her gaze from the ever-so-intriguing brick wall returning her attention to the far-more-intriguing Waverly Earp. She set her eyes on Waverly, trying to keep them in their place. She was a strong woman, so so strong. Until she wasn’t. She finally broke, “sneaking” a glance downward, Waverly laughing in response, relaxing into the booth. “I’m impressed, you lasted a whole 20 seconds.”

“You’re a cruel, cruel woman.”

“I could say the same about you.” she replied with a smirk. Nicole quickly cocked an eyebrow, opening her mouth to respond until the server came with their appetizer. “Perhaps we should table this discussion. For now.”

The tension between the two softened, this was a date after all. A date usually involved talking, not a game of who could tease more, not entirely anyways. They enjoyed their small plate, sharing lighthearted stories of schoolyard antics and wild parties. 

“I had to hold Wynonna back from jumping this guy just because he said he owned a donut shop. She was ready to marry him. Like ‘Wave let’s go find a ring pop I need an engagement ring. I’ve never been so in love blah blah blah’. She would’ve done it too if I hadn’t stopped her. Couldn’t even tell me the guys name. Girl will do about anything for a donut. Not to mention a free one.”

“Sounds like quite a night. I thought I was supposed to be the one all about donuts? Isn’t it my civic duty? Was she the one I meet at your dorm when I returned your book?”

“Yep that’s her. Middle sister of the Earps. I have another sister too, her name is Willa.”

“Was she the blonde?”

Waverly’s face fell a bit, not unnoticed by Nicole. 

“No she um, I don’t really see her a ton anymore. We kind of had a falling out.” she put solemnly. She wanted to open to Nicole; wanted to tell her everything good and bad that’s ever happened to her. One day. One day at a time. 

“Hey,” Nicole reached her hand over to cover Waverly’s pulling her out of thoughts. “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to.”

Smiling, she flipped her hand over to run her fingers across Nicole’s palm. “Another time. She’s a story for another time.”

“I like the sound of that. That means I’ll get a second date.”

“Oh I’m fairly certain you’ll get a second date.” she smiled before feathering a kiss to the top of her hand. 

Their server returned with their entrees, forcing Nicole to remove her hand. Once settled, Nicole broke their silence. “So I do have a question. It’s kind of a deal breaker.”

Waverly looked up expecting to find that patented cocky Nicole full of confidence and dimples, finding a humorless expression instead.  _ Oh God, she’s serious.  _

“Nicole?”

“I’m trying to find the best way to word this. That way it’s clear as possible. It’s a pretty important and I don’t want you to misinterpret it.”

“Okay… you’re kind of freaking me out.”

“Alright here it goes.” she put her fork down, Waverly mirroring her actions. She leaned in close, beckoning Waverly to move closer too.  _ This is serious. Holy shit.  _ Before she could ask, their waiter came by to check on how they were doing. “Great thank you, everything’s great.” Nicole beamed. He nodded thankfully, leaving promptly allowing Nicole to return to their conversation. She gazed back at her, catching Waverly’s nervous exterior. “If all the cereal mascots were released in a hunger games style battle royale, who would win? Take your time to think about it, there’s only one correct answer.” She leaned back, picking up her fork and diving back into her meal, leaving Waverly speechless. 

There it was. Nicole’s priceless sense of humor. 

“Oh my god Nicole, what am I going to do with you?”

“Think carefully, the rest of the night depends on it.”

She pondered her options. Let’s see a tiger, a toucan, a bird crazy for chocolate, a frog, a leprechaun, and probably a whole lot more she couldn’t think of on the spot. 

“Well my instinct is to say Tony the Tiger. A ravenous feline easily capable of taking out a leprechaun, two birds, a ship captain, all the other mascots no problem.”

She watched as Nicole shook her head, parting her lips to begin her argument. Waverly raised a finger before she had the chance. “All mascots, except for one. The ultimate winner, would be the mascot for Raisin Brain. You can’t beat the sun. Everyone knows that.” 

Those dimples, beautiful dimples, made their return. 

“Mark me impressed, Earp.” she complimented, sipping at her drink. 

“I’d rather mark you with something else,” Waverly retorted. “But I believe that conversation has been tabled for now.”

They finished their meals, exchanging light jokes and thoughts, savoring every last bite of their exceptional food. When she had heard this place was good, she didn’t expect it to be this good. Eventually the waiter came with the bill, Nicole immediately handing him her card. She wondered if she’d be able to do this for Nicole one day. Spoil the living hell out of her. It had only been a dinner but it like much more. A promise for more to come. She wanted to be able to do the same. 

When he returned with her receipt, she quickly signed, exclaiming they needed to get a move on or they’d be late. Despite Waverly’s many requests throughout the night, Nicole never gave anymore information as to where they were heading. They made their way to the car. Even though they were in a hurry, Nicole still stopped to open the car door for her before moving to the driver’s seat. She put the car in gear, and began their drive to their second destination, singing along to music on the way. Halfway through the drive, Nicole turned down the stereo. 

“Alright Waves, I think I can tell you now.” she reached into the center console, retrieving two printed tickets and handed them to Waverly.

“Hello Dolly?”

“There’s a local theatre downtown, they do a couple of shows a year and I’ve loved every production I’ve seen them do. I went to their production of  _ She Loves Me _ in the summer and it was fantastic. You struck me as the type of woman that enjoys theatre. Am I completely off base?”

“Nicole this is incredibly sweet, I can’t believe you managed to get tickets last minute. Yes, I do love theatre. I participated in a production of  _ Flashdance  _ in high school, and I still have an admiration for it. I’m not very familiar with this show, so I’m excited to see it. This will be great Nicole,” she uttered sweetly. 

She watched Nicole closely. She kept a close eye on the road, furrowing her brow as she focused, but her lips formed a light smile, clearly relieved. She sighed and moved her hand to rest on Waverly’s thigh, Waverly’s hand resting on top.

The theatre was packed for its size. It was small, located between a run down mini mart and a private detective agency. It wasn’t much to look at, but if it was good enough for Nicole, it was good enough for her. Hell, it could be a diamond in the rough. They were seated in the back, but the back was only 15 rows from the stage. The two chatted lightly, Nicole making a ‘if you hate it at least we’re in the back so we can make out the whole time’, earning an eye roll and shoulder nudge, not that didn’t also sound  _ incredible _ . 

Waverly loved the production. She was completely engrossed by it. It was minimal, but so charismatic. The music, costumes, choreography - all mesmerizing. It flew by much too quickly. She could only bare to tear her eyes away to glance at Nicole. At one point of the show, during the song “Before the Parade Passes By”, she found herself focusing on Nicole, watching her mouth the words along with the song. 

_ ‘Before the parade passes by, I’ve gotta go and taste Saturday’s high life’ _

It was entrancing. As the song drew to a close, rolling into intermission Waverly couldn’t help give into the temptation after watching her lips move. She leaned over, placing a brief kiss onto her lips. The older girl beamed, grabbing Waverly’s hand from her lap, kissing the palm before placing their hands into her own lap. She held her hand during intermission, and when act two began she still didn’t let go. What a feeling it was. Watching an incredible show, holding the hand of an incredible woman. It was the perfect moment. 

The show began to close, only two numbers left. She didn’t want it to end. It ending meant her date was drawing to a close as well. She felt like she could talk to Nicole for hours- hold her hand, shamelessly flirt, it would never get old. She felt Nicole shift next to her, moving slightly closer with each movement, as the second to last number began. Nicole had mouthed most of the lyrics throughout the production, careful not to disturb other patrons. 

The dialogue came from the stage, “I’ll go slowly. so you can get it all down.” Before the song began, she felt Nicole’s nose brush behind her ear. In a quiet melody, she sang along with the character, Cornelius. 

‘ _ It only takes a moment, for your eyes to meet and then. _

_ Your heart knows in a moment, you will never be alone again. _

_ I held her for an instant, but my arms felt sure and strong. _

_ It only takes a moment, to be a loved a whole life long’ _

She pulled away afterwards, leaving Waverly awestruck as the ensemble carried on the rest of the show. She couldn’t bring herself to look at the stage for the entirety of the song, only the sound of the applause bringing her attention back to the production. After the final song, the crowd stood in ovation, wooing the cast and stagehands. It was a beautiful production, a perfect night. 

They left the theatre, hand in hand Waverly softly singing “It Only Takes a Moment” in the dark night sky. “I loved it, Nicole. Thank you so much for bringing me!” she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the taller girls waist. They kept a hold on each other, giggling as they awkwardly shuffled to the car. Nicole turned Waverly so her back would meet the car door.

“I’m glad you like it.” it was put so simply, but Waverly could feel the emotion behind it. Her heart swelled. She could tell this show meant a lot to Nicole. Another story for another time. 

Another time. 

The two stared momentarily, before Nicole brought her hands to cup Waverly’s cheeks. Waverly pulled Nicole closer by the waist, until she was flush against her. She felt a hot breath on her lips as Nicole leaned her head forward, capturing their lips together in an agonizingly slow kiss. Waverly felt her body heat, spiking when she felt Nicole’s tongue run along her bottom lip. Reluctantly, she pulled away, if only to make her move.

“Maybe we should bring back that tabled conversation,” Waverly suggested, smiling widely. All Nicole could do was nod, before bringing their lips together once more far more heated than the first. 

This was going to be a long car ride. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rest in peace, Carol Channing, the original Dolly on Broadway. An incredible woman and talented artist. The sky shines a litter brighter as it gained an incredible star.
> 
> January 31, 1921- January 15, 2019


	14. fourteen

She was right. The ride back to Nicole’s was a nightmare. It was completely quiet, the sounds of their heightened breathing and constant fidgeting filled the sexually charged air. The two kept sneaking glances at each other, smirks and lip bites galore. Seeing they were about halfway to the house, Waverly decided to have a little… fun. Reaching over the center console, she rested her hand on Nicole’s thigh, letting her fingers run up and down the inner section of her leg. The muscles twitched beneath the pressure of her hand. She watched as Nicole shifted in her seat, trying to maintain composure. Letting her tongue rest in her cheek and keeping her gaze ahead, Waverly moved her hand a little farther up her leg. Heat radiated from Nicole’s core. She knew damn well that if Nicole placed her hand onto Waverly’s lap, that same heat would be found there too.

They rolled into a stop at a red light, now just a few blocks from their third and final destination. The streets were empty, no cars or pedestrians in sight. So when Nicole launched her torso over the console, crashing their lips together in hopes to temporarily satiate their ever growing desire, Waverly held no hesitation is kissing back. It only made things worse. Short moans escaped in the brief moments when their lips parted, only to be swallowed once they were together again. Waverly pulled on Nicole’s tie to pull her closer, before the sound of a car laying on the horn as they sped by brought them back to reality. Nicole turned back to the road, noticing the traffic light now a bright shade of green. They started moving again, Waverly muffling chuckles as she watched pants escape Nicole’s plump kissed lips. The pounding between her legs was unceasing, especially when she watched Nicole’s tongue part and run across her lips before it nestled back into her mouth.

She was so distracted by Nicole’s actions, that she didn’t register them pulling onto Nicole’s property. Nicole slammed the car in park before turning off ignition. She practically leapt out of the car, running to the other door and opening it for Waverly. She couldn’t have been standing longer than three seconds before she was pressed against the car door, Nicole finding purchase in Waverly’s lips. Waverly began frantically pulling at her tie, trying to loosen it, hands shaking from the chill of the air mixed with the adrenaline of anticipation. It hung loosely around her neck once untied, allowing Waverly to pop open the top two buttons of her shirt. She pulled away from Nicole’s lips, only to attach them to her neck - kissing and nipping at the soft skin she found. She felt Nicole’s throat vibrate against  her tongue as it run against her pulse point. Nicole reached a hand down to Waverly’s knee, wrapping the leg around her waist. It granted her the ability grind her hips in Waverly’s core, and grind she did. It wasn’t long until Waverly began thrusting too.

Out in the cold breeze of the late night the two stood trading lip locks and moans as their hips pushed into each other. A word hadn’t been said since the two left the theatre. Nicole was the first to break the silence, as eloquently as she could for someone that was so far beyond aroused she felt she might explode. “Waves, um… why don’t we um… oh God,” her concentration broke as Waverly drew the bottom of her earlobe between her teeth. Her hips bucked harder into Waverly’s, earning a breathy moan directly into her ear, causing her hips to thrust again. Unable to wait any longer, she reached her hand down to the leg still planted on the ground, bring it up to wrap around her waist effectively elevating her, before connecting their lips desperately.

Nicole walked them up the porch, doing her best to navigate the steps in the dark while supporting Waverly. She pushed her back into the front door, allowing one of her own legs to perch underneath, as she quickly grabbed her keys from her back pocket. Waverly wrapped her lips around Nicole’s, tugging on her bottom lip as ran her hands through her hair. To say Nicole was distracted was an understatement. She fumbled with her keys, turning her head to try and find the lock, Waverly pursing her lips anywhere she could. Once unlocked, she pushed through the door, closing it with her foot as she moved swiftly through the entryway towards the living room.

They tumbled onto the couch, Nicole sitting upright and Waverly untangling her legs to straddle the officer. Unrestrained kissing soon became touching as the two worked diligently to shed each other of their clothing. It was tricky to accomplish as arms and hands snaked through each other, Waverly trying to undo the rest of the buttons on Nicole’s shirt while Nicole tried to remove her coat.  Soon it was a tangled mess. Waverly finally broke the contact between them, allowing them each to shed their respective tops, Waverly lifting her sweater over her head as well. Before she could take it off completely, she was startled at the feeling of lips press against the valley between her breasts. A giggled escaped her lips, and she couldn’t bring herself to remove the article completely. Not yet anyway.

She couldn’t see, only feel, only guess where Nicole would go next. She managed to recreate their little scenario from earlier. Not perfectly of course, Nicole was far overdressed. Lips lightly brushed the swell of her right breast. She felt Nicole release her tongue, dipping it slightly beneath the cup of her bra, grazing her stiffening nipple ever so gently. The newly damp area was quickly exposed to the air as Nicole brought down the cup, granting full access to the stiff peak. Lips enveloped the bud completely. Waverly felt like she could cry as a skillful tongue flicked every which way.

“Oh... _fuck_ Nicole.” she managed to breathed out, finally throwing her sweater to the ground next to them. Wanting to feel her closer, she quickly rid herself of her bra, before lips were attached to her once more. She tangled her hands in Nicole’s hair, pulling her harder against her chest, as her hips slowly gyrated against the woman’s core. It was all too much, but yet she needed more. Nicole switched mounds, simultaneously squeezing Waverly’s ass she she moved above her. “Nicole,” she whispered, trying to get her attention. Maybe not her best attempt, but it earned a questioning hum in response as she continued to ravage her lovers chest. “Bedroom… uhh.. Now. I need to feel you. Fuck I need to feel you. You have no idea how long I’ve wanted you,”

Her movements slow before she released the nipple with a pop, finding Waverly’s gaze.

“Oh yeah? Why you don’t you tell me a little bit about it.” Before she could respond in question, Nicole’s hands were back on her hips and a nipple was between her lips. It was maddening how gifted this woman was with her tongue. The hands on her hips began moving, guiding her to start moving against her. How are you supposed to articulate any sort of thoughts in a time like this?

“Well...uhhh… God… I couldn’t stop thinking about you after I first met you. Especially after I knew you weren’t... “ It was close to impossible to keep concentration as she thrusted against Nicole. She felt herself moving harder and harder, risking a repeat of their first attempt the day before. “I imagined how you’d feel against me. How your lips would feel against mine.” It took a moment to build up the courage to continue, feeling Nicole smirk against her chest. “How you would look… coming for me, around my fingers… on my lips.” She heard Nicole moan against her. She reluctantly pulled Nicole’s head away from her chest, only to reunite their lips. Nicole parted her lips, allowing Waverly’s tongue to roam freely against her own. Waverly continued to grind against her hips, feeling her arousal spread to her thighs, panties completely ruined. “Bedroom. Now.”

Without hesitation Nicole hooked Waverly’s legs around her again before standing and moving towards the bedroom, as Waverly undid Nicole’s bra. She reached her hand, gently teasing Waverly’s slit through her clothes from beneath. Waverly gasped, smiling as she watched Nicole bit down on her own lip as they kept moving. Her eyes were darker than she had ever seen them before. Lust and desire pulsing through them. She could stare at Nicole endlessly if given the opportunity; her beauty hard to turn away from. That same beauty shone from deep within her soul. The soul that showed up in the middle of the night to check on her after being in a car accident. The soul that opened the car door or that walked on the sidewalks that were closer to the street. The soul that insisted they spend some actual time together before jumping into bed. Waverly knew that this beautiful soul was true; she was safe with Nicole. What if Waverly wasn’t enough?

She wasn’t an established doctor. She was a broke RA still trying to figure out her future. She didn’t know where her degree would take her, if it would at all.  Nicole was already established. A house, a promising career, all brought together by a confident head on her shoulders. How was she to compete with Shae? What if she has a change of heart and wants Nicole back?  She was brought out of her thoughts by Nicole laying her down on the bed before shedding the loose bra and laying on her side next to her, head propped up to look down on her.

“Hey, you okay? You slipped away for a minute.” She was awestruck. How could someone be this perfect?

“I was just thinking about how incredible you are,” Waverly responded quietly. “Nicole… I really really like you. I don’t want to mess this up. Honestly…” she hesitated, concern growing in Nicole’s gaze.” I’m afraid I’m not good enough for you.” She turned to roll onto her stomach, her face inches from Nicole. She felt a hand lay on her bare back.

“Why would you think that?” she offered, dropping a kiss to the back of her hand. “I’m not perfect. Trust me. I make mistakes. Constantly. Everyone does. And don’t you dare think for a second that you’re not good enough for anything, especially me. Waverly Earp you’re remarkable, and I want all of you. The good, the bad, everything. I’m all in, if you’ll have me.” Her insecurities subsided, not permanently but for the time being. If Nicole was all in, she was too, and she knew they’d work through her concerns together.

“I’m all in too,” She reached a hand to cup Nicole’s face, stroking a thumb across her cheek. She watched as Nicole’s eyes fluttered shut as she leaned into her palm. Her lips parted slightly, and Waverly couldn’t resist the temptation of gently brushing their lips together. Nicole responded quickly, encapsulating her lovers lips, grazing her tongue against them. It wasn’t long till their kiss grew heated again, a trail of goosebumps left as Nicole’s hand ran laps around her back. She needed to feel closer.

Waverly flipped onto her back, pulling Nicole on top of her. She felt a strong thigh part her legs before it pressed deliciously into her core. She reached down, popping the button of Nicole’s slacks and pulled down the zipper. She stared up Nicole hovering over her. She slid both of her hands beneath both slacks and underwear, resting them on her hips. She leaned up slightly, the strength of her abs supporting her as dragged her teeth and tongue along Nicole’s jaw, before beginning to push the garments down her body. She heard the drop of Nicole’s shoes echo on the hardwood floor, and continued to push the clothing downwards. She stopped once they were bunched around her knees, bare ass on display. She sucked in breath through her teeth as she gripped the pale rear, causing Nicole to rock against her. There was no doubt Nicole could feel Waverly’s arousal on her exposed thigh.

Nicole slipped away, standing at the edge of the bed and pulled on Waverly’s hands pulling her to a sitting position. She observed the beautiful body in front of her. Muscles defined through pale creamy skin. She noticed a couple of scars, ones she get the origin stories from later. Dark trim curls sat beautifully on her pubic bone, acting as a bow for a silky sweet gift.  

“You’re beautiful,” Waverly complimented simply, shaking her head in awe. “So _fucking_ beautiful.” Nicole pushed her pants the rest of the way, before dropping to her knees in front of Waverly. Nicole quickly removed Waverly’s shoes and socks, before scooting her closer to the edge of the bed.

Their heights were perfect for this angle. Nicole left a trail of open mouth kisses down her torso towards her leggings. She hooked two fingers in the waistband of the leggings, and slowly began pulling them down. As new skin was exposed, she’d kiss and lick the newfound area. Her thighs trembled as Nicole’s lips pressed against the top of each leg. She felt her legs spread as they became less restricted by her leggings, almost instinctively. Nicole eyed her body once free of the clothing, the two finally free of all barriers between them.

“If I’m beautiful, Waverly Earp, you are fucking extraordinary.” Her legs were spread impossibly wider by strong hands, her breath heavy with anticipation. Nicole placed strategic licks and nips up the inside of her thighs, allowing a small taste of slick arousal that had spread between her legs. Nicole was moving delicately and slowly; until she wasn’t. “I have to taste you.” she heard quickly. Before she knew it, legs were hooked over shoulders and she felt a broad tongue swipe against her core. Nicole worked her tongue around her slit, never staying in one place too long, lazily lapping all the sweetness she could. She dipped slightly into her entrance, bringing a fresh coat of heat to her tongue before moving up to circle her clit. Nicole moaned against her, bringing the bundle of nerves between her lips. Waverly’s hands tangled her hair, pulling her as close as she could. It was nearly painful. Her hips found a rhythm against Nicole’s mouth, Waverly releasing breathy moans and gritted pleads. She was a goner.

She felt a tightness wound in her stomach, hinting her orgasm was just around the corner. She tugged at Nicole’s head to bring her away from her dripping core, delighted to see her mouth and chin completely covered in her juices. She pulled Nicole to hover over her before she could wipe her face, bringing her neck down to connect their lips. She tasted herself on her tongue, and briefly contemplated her move. She pulled her head away, watching as Nicole clearly wondering what Waverly was thinking. Nothing could have prepared her for the moment that followed. Waverly ran a hand across her chin and mouth, gathering the wetness on her hand. She brought it down to meet Nicole’s heat, running her fingers through silk, combining their juices into a combined pool within Nicole. She was surprised to find how wet she was before she had even touched her. “My my officer, looks like you didn’t need any help getting wet for me.”

Nicole’s jaw dropped at the action, bucking into Waverly’s hand as it moved against her. She began rubbing quick circles against her swollen clit, watching as the woman above her writhed in pleasure.

“ _Oh Waverly,”_

“ _Fuck Nicole,”_

Waverly pushed Nicole’s shoulders to move her to her back, straddling her thigh and placing one between the officers. “I need to ride you,” she breathed out. She pushed her hips back and forth, rubbing her core against  Nicole’s thigh, while feeling wetness coat her leg from Nicole’s movements that were being reciprocated. Nicole quickly sat up, wrapping an arm around Waverly’s waist as they moved against each other, faster and harder with each thrust.

“Oh fuck baby…. fuck I’m gonna come,”

“Sh-shit Nic, me too. Don’t stop, God don’t stop,”

Nicole placed her face between Waverly’s breasts, panting heavily into her body as she continued to grind. Waverly felt the tightness within her finally snap as she came tumbling over the edge, screaming Nicole’s name. Nicole followed shortly after, obscenities echoing through the room and their grinding began to slow as they rode out their orgasms. Waverly cupped Nicole’s face, bringing their lips together as they continued to slow. The breathed heavily into each other, stealing kisses and moving wayward strands of hair off of sweaty foreheads.

Nicole was drunk with lust as she fell backwards onto the bed, Waverly collapsing on top of her. Fingers tickled her back as they came down from their high.

“God, you’re amazing. I have never felt anything like that before. Where have you been all my life?” Nicole asked lightheartedly. Waverly felt her cheeks warm as she ducked her head in the crick of Nicole’s neck. Nicole held her closer, kissing lightly on the top of her head. Their breathing began to steady, and Waverly found herself drifting in Nicole’s arms. She felt Nicole shift underneath her, pulling their bodies to lie properly beneath the sheets. She should get out of bed, grab her phone and set an alarm to make sure she’s not late for class. She should go through her night time routine that she spent weeks establishing or surely her teeth and skin would suffer. She always tried to do her best to make the best decisions, but tonight she decided to be a little less practical. Nothing could beat the feeling of laying in Nicole’s arms, knowing she safe; basking in the happiness she felt. Those three little words rang in her head.

‘ _I’m all in.’_


	15. fifteen

Nicole awoke in a haze. Her mind flooded with memories of the night before. Hands roaming her body. The taste of Waverly on her lips, a taste she’d forever appreciate. It was a dream. Somehow that dream continued as she felt Waverly’s body pressed up against her back. It was a feeling she never experienced with Shae. They both ran warm, and Shae didn’t like to sweat, or feel constricted, or be touched generally. After evenings of mediocre sex the two would move to their respective sides of the bed. If Nicole grew too close, Shae would be sure to push her away. Not once had she woken in an embrace. Most days she’d wake up alone. 

It was terrifying how drawn to Waverly she was. The moment she laid eyes on her she knew it was dangerous to be around the girl, but just couldn’t stay away. She was sensational, in every way possible. As she glanced around the room, she knew it was early, maybe four or five in the morning. Damn her internal clock. The room was still dark, but the smallest hint of sunrise was beginning to creep it’s way into the sky. Waverly was still sound asleep, a light snore escaping her. Now wide awake, she tried to slip out of the bed; unsuccessfully as Waverly clung to her like a spider monkey. The woman may have been small, but she was surprisingly strong. After some slow but firm prying, Nicole managed to free herself from Waverly’s clutches, watching as she rolled over to her other side and clinging onto a pillow with the same death grip. 

She quietly pulled a pair of shorts and tank top out of her drawers, pausing in moments when she’d hear Waverly stir. Reaching down to her pants, she retrieved her phone, wallet, and keys. She checked the time, it was barely after five. She hadn’t checked her phone since her and Waverly left the house.  She had a string of texts from a group chat with officer’s Hartman, Daniels, and Parker. A chat she was now determined to leave as they discussed pickup tactics to use on desperate women in bars and their success rates, personally tested by Officer Parker. She rolled her eyes, already mapping out each slap to the back of their heads accompanied by hounding lecture on toxic masculinity,  _ again. _

They were good friends and they usually meant well, but they were also really fucking stupid. She found solace in her friendship with Mason, more so than the other two. He was truly her best friend. They had been friends since the academy, always on her side. She’d never forget the first time they socialized outside of the academy. It had been a long and stressful week for Nicole. She had made some mistakes in combat training, for which she was brutally reprimanded. It was still earning in her training, and the tension between her and Shae had never been stronger. Nicole had slept on the couch the entire week, and all she wanted was a break. Their first Saturday night off, Nicole and Mason found themselves planning an outing together. As they pulled into the bar, Nicole had made a comment about how it had been a hell of a week, and she was looking forward to drinking it away. Before she even had the chance to undo her seat belt, he had thrown the car in reverse and left the parking lot. 

He had a philosophy he lived by. One that hoped to instill onto those he cared about. “Never drink when you’re sad or stressed. Drink when socializing and you’re loving life. Never drink away the pain” He took them to the bowling alley that night. Rather than indulging in hard liquor and fried foods, they stuck to light snacks and a little healthy competition. Nicole got her ass kicked. Apparently bowling had become therapeutic for her new friend, and had become quite the player. Nicole confided in him that night; told him everything about her relationship with Shae. He had made his mind up that very night that she wasn’t good enough for Nicole, and no matter how she tried to justify, he had none of it. They were nearly inseparable after that night. 

Outside of the group chain, she had a few more lone texts. Two of which from Mason. 

_ 10:10 PM: Looks like you owe me $40, we kicked your Raptors ass. Kyle was cold as hell tonight. YOU CAN’T STOP THE GREEK FREAK. _

_ 12:11 AM: Ahh that’s right you had your date tonight. You normally can’t resist my trash talk. Hope it went well. Don’t fuck it up, she’s a good one. I can tell.  _

She chuckled at his messages as she moved towards the living room, before crafting her response.

_ 5:12 AM: I don’t owe you shit. We never made a bet you liar. :P Oh and I know. She’s incredible dude. She’s unreal.  _

She really was. Nicole was absolutely smitten. She had never met someone so confident yet humble. She was naturally intriguing; Nicole felt like she could listen to Waverly for hours on end. It was her heart that she admired most. The way she treated those around her, from service staff to just people they’d pass on the street, she’d always offer a kind smile  and treat whomever it was with the utmost respect. The sweetest sound was the hearty laugh that were emerge from those beautiful lips. One of the best things about Waverly, was her genuine interest in Nicole as a person. Too many times in her younger years as she had casually dated, would she find herself being talked at rather than talked to. She found that most of her dates never showed interest in her. Not until Shae. Nicole had graduated with a BS in criminal justice, her original plan to apply to law school. When Shae caught wind of her plans, she had suddenly found Nicole  _ far  _ more attractive and interesting. 

There was one final text she had. One she didn’t want to open when she saw the sender's name. Shae. 

_ 3:28 AM: I miss you. _

Fuck. There’s only one response to something like that. Radio silence. She was pissed. How the hell did Shae think she had the right to send that type of message? Who does that? She hoped it was a drunken one time mistake. The last thing she wanted to deal with as she let her relationship with Waverly bloom, was her heartless ex. 

She looked up from her phone to take in the state of her living room. It was nearly spotless as she always kept it, a few clothes thrown haphazardly by the couch. Looking around however, she couldn’t spot Waverly’s purse. In the heat of the moment, she must have left it in the car. She opened her front door, frustrated when she realized she hadn’t locked up last night. How could she be so careless? 

The car had also been left unlocked, much to her frustration. She retrieved the bag out of the front seat, being sure she locked the car this time. It was far too cold to be outside in shorts. She turned towards back to the house, freezing as she noticed her kitchen window. All windows, including the ones on her car, were covered in the regular morning dew. The kitchen window however, had a large red M painted on the kitchen window. She approached the window, running a finger across to see how fresh the paint was. Running across it, heart stomach dropped as she realized, all she felt was the water droplets she gathered from the window run down her finger. The M was written on the inside of the window. 

She heard Waverly scream from within the house. She bolted through the front door, calling Waverly’s name as she ran. She found her standing in the archway of the kitchen, staring at the same window she had been checking outside. She wrapped her arms around Waverly, quickly pulling her back to the bedroom. She felt her breathing quicken as she held onto her closely. Tears fell down the girls cheeks onto Nicole’s arms. She wanted to rampage. This person, this monster had Nicole worried, but seeing the lines he was starting to cross made her angry. This guy wasn’t an admirer. He wanted Waverly to fear. She guided Waverly back to the bed, where she crawled under the blankets to hide. After placing Waverlys purse on the bed, Nicole draped her arms around her, kissing her softly and trying to calm her breathing. She needed to check the house. She needed to be sure they were safe. 

“Waves, baby. I need you to stay here okay? I’m going to lock the door. Do not open it unless you hear that it’s me.” She whispered a password into Waverly’s ear. One she was to say if the coast was clear. Waverly pulled her face from out of the covers, Nicole saw as tears stained her cheeks. Her eyes were bloodshot and broken, and Nicole’s heart sank even harder. 

“No no no, please don’t leave. I can’t be in here alone,” she whispered through a broken breath. 

“Everything’s going to be okay. Just keep the door locked and stay under the covers okay. If I say the password, open the door. Do not open it unless I say it okay?” 

Waverly reluctantly nodded, giving Nicole the affirmation to move forward. She unlocked her safe, retrieving her person handgun. She checked the room they were in. The closet, the bathroom, under the bed; all were safe. Waverly followed behind as Nicole walked out the bedroom door, gun in hand. She dropped a kiss to Waverlys cheek before closing the door. She waited until she heard the click of the lock before she started moving again. Slowly she moved through the narrow hallway. Her house wasn’t large by any means. Only a single bedroom, one and half bathrooms, a kitchen, living room, a coat closet, and a small separate garage she used for storage and laundry. She checked the half bath first, kicking it open as she pointed her pistol in the direction of the swinging door. No one. 

She checked each nook and cranny of the living room and kitchen, while listening for movement in any part of the house. Waverly had been instructed to keep as quiet as possible to allow Nicole to listen for any movement. She approached the coat closet, pressing an ear to the door to listen for shuffling. When nothing was heard, she backed away slowly, readying her gun as she reached for the handle. She swung the door open before stepping backwards and taking aim. No one. The house was clear. One more place to check. 

The sun had begun to rise as she moved through the front door. There was only one entrance to the garage, and that was through the massive garage door. One of the first things she did when she moved into the house was replace the door and install a code based door to open and close the garage. It was too easy to break into with a just simple padlock. The only people who knew the code were Nicole and Shae. Approaching the garage door, she heard consistent movement on the other side, rhythmic thumping. She entered the code, and quickly moved behind her car as the door opened, watching through the window as the door slid out of view. She waited. She watched. She held her breath. The sounds never stopped. It clicked. 

She moved out from behind the car, moving slowly towards the garage. Amongst other item, there were stacks of boxes on shelves, a bike she hardly rode anymore, and hiding on the left wall were her washer and dryer. Her dryer was running. Someone had ran it within the last hour and a half. On top of the dryer, was a can of red spray paint, wobbling as the cheap appliance ran. Next to it, the single peony Nicole had given to Waverly. Only now it had been covered in spray paint. Looking around, she managed to find a plastic grocery bag to pick up the can without touching it. She wrapped it up in the bag, intending to bring into the station to run fingerprints. As she tied up the bag, the alarm on the dryer buzzed. She placed the bag on the ground, taking a deep breath. She did a quick glance around being sure no one was sneaking behind her, before opening the dryer door. In it lied a program for  _ Hello Dolly,  _ the show they had seen the night before, a ticket dated for last night and a to go menu from 313 stapled to it. She grabbed the pamphlet and bag, closing the garage on the way out before running back to the house. She quickly approached the bedroom door, knocking calmly as to not panic Waverly. 

“Waverly it’s me. No one is here. We’re safe. Password is vanilla donuts.”

The door quickly unlocked, and she heard the pitter patter of Waverly running back to the bed. Nicole opened the door, closing it behind her again. Waverly was no longer crying, but the look in her eyes expressed much more than just fear. She picked up her phone and fiddled with it in her hands, clearly trying to formulate something. 

“Waves do you still have the programs and tickets from last night in your bag?”

She silently nodded, avoiding Nicole’s line of sight as she pulled them out of her purse. 

Two programs. 

Two tickets. 

He was there.

“Shit,” she whispered, sliding to the floor as Waverly continued to stare at her lap. “He was there Waves. He followed us. He was there the whole time. Fuck.” She held her face in her hands, until a thought occurred on how this could help their case. “Maybe this is a good thing. Maybe we can get security footage from the restaurant and theatre. Find possible suspects. Hell maybe you’ll recognize someone. I’ll bring this to the chief when we get back to campus.” Waverly didn’t move, but the tears had begun again. Nicole stood instantly, taking a seat next to Waverly and began rubbing her back. “Waves, baby this guy fucked up okay? He left his paint, no doubt riddled with finger prints and he let us know he was there. We’re going to find him. I promise you okay? Why don’t you hop in the shower and we’ll go get some breakfast before we head to campus.” She offered with a smile. She placed a couple of kisses along her forehead, on her cheek, and down her neck. They weren’t sensual or trying, but filled with emotion and comfort as she tried to calm the beautiful woman in front of her. Waverly leaned into the affection, but suddenly pushed Nicole away, shaking her head. “Waverly?” The tears streamed harder as she moved further away. “Hey, talk to me.” 

“I c-can’t.” She whispered in a broken call. 

“You can’t talk to me? Wave baby you’re scaring me. Please I want to help.”

“I can’t do this.”

“I know you’re scared but I promise you we’ll-“

“No Nicole, I can’t do this.” She cried as she gestured between the two of them. “I can’t let him hurt you.”

Her voice was broken, shattered. Nicole felt tears well in her eyes. This couldn’t be happening. 

“Waverly,” she begged, tears beginning to fall. “Please don’t do this.”

Waverly surged forward, claiming Nicole’s lips in her own. Nicole kisses back with all the power and care she could. She felt the streams pour from her closed eyes, as she could feel the sorrow behind this affection. Waverly wasn’t changing her mind. 

She pulled away, resting her forehead against Nicole’s. “I’m so sorry, Nicole.”

“Please,” she begged through a sob. 

Waverly's phone rang, she could see it was Wynonna. Waverly answered with a simple hello, and only said ‘okay’ before she hung up. 

“I asked Wynonna to come get me while you were checking the house. She’s outside.”

“Please Waverly. Please I’m begging you, don’t end this. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.”

“I know, I haven’t either… but I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you.”

“Waverly-“

“I have to go.”

She stood before Nicole could say anything more, leaving the room as she muffled sobs filled the void on the bed. She heard the front door shut, and the damn broke. She collapsed into the bed,  cradling a pillow tightly as she tried to steady her breathing. Part of her wanted to ran after Waverly, another part of her wanted to just run away. Leave and never come back. Move to an even smaller town and start a new life as a farm hand. Assist an old man who would teach her everything he knows. Maybe her life would be a little simpler. No Waverly, no Shae, no M. 

No Waverly. 

Her mind wandered back to the woman as she drifted back to sleep, the emotionally draining start to her day taking its effect on her. 

She awoke a couple hours later, hoping all had been a nightmare. That she’d roll over and find Waverly still sleeping in her bed. It pained her to find that she was wrong. It shouldn’t hurt. It couldn’t hurt. She tried to push those feelings aside, as she became distracted by the sound of a text coming through. She grabbed it quickly, secretly hoping the brunette bombshell was feeling the same heartache and wanted to make amends. She was disappointed to find it was from Mason.

_ 10:15 AM: That’s awesome dude. We’re on the same shift today. Think you can sneak away for lunch before our shift starts?  _

She knew she’d have to tell him eventually. He was her best friend. She drafted her response, debating whether or not to tell him right then and there about what happened. It was a lot to type, and she wasn’t sure she had exactly processed it. She finally settled on a message, hitting the send button before she could adjust it further. 

_ 10:17 AM: I can do lunch.  Noon at the cafe on Preston? _

She scrolled down to her message thread with Waverly. She wanted to call her. She wanted to tell her off for the way she left things, call her selfish and cruel. Tell her she was just as bad as Shae and that she regretted everything; that last night meant absolutely nothing to her. 

She couldn’t. 

It was all a lie. 

_ 10:18 AM: Wave, can we please talk? _

Mason gave his confirmation, and she waited a couple more minutes hoping to hear from Waverly as well. She waited, and waited, and waited. The response never came. She sighed in defeat, placing her phone on the nightstand before stepping in the bathroom. She’d close her eyes as she stood under the blazing water, getting into the proper head space. She was upset, but she had a job to do. She took an oath to serve and protect, even if that protection came through completing proper paperwork. She wouldn’t let herself risk others lives because of her personal life. It was difficult at times, but she was resilient.  She’d perfect it eventually. 

She dressed in her uniform, resisting the urge to check her phone as each garment fit to her body. She ran through some exercises to help focus, but her mind kept drifting back to Waverly. She finally gave in, checking her phone for any texts or calls. 

Nothing. 

The drive to the cafe was too quiet. She had anticipated a drive to a breakfast date with her hopefully soon to be girlfriend; not a heart broken drive to meet a friend for lunch while being ghosted by that same woman. She parked at the cafe, immediately seeing her friend through the window. She took a deep breath. She knew the first thing he would ask about is Waverly. 

She entered the cafe, finding her seat across from Mason. 

“What’s wrong?”

“What?”

“Nicole I know you better than anyone. I’m also a cop. I saw you take a deep breath in the car, you’re slumping your shoulders, you’re avoiding eye contact which tells me you have something you’re avoiding telling me. You definitely don’t look like someone who just spent a night in paradise, which is what you told me at five this morning. What the hell could have possibly happened in the last 6 hours?”

“Fucking M happened man!” She exclaimed a little louder than intended. Judgmental eyes floated to their table. She half assed an apologetic look before turning back to Mason.

“A letter in the alphabet ruined your morning... Haught what the hell are you talking about?”

“No it’s this guy that has been leaving Waverly these… notes. He always signs them as M. He shoves them under her door, on her car, in her books… We filed a police report with the chief yesterday.” she rested her forehead on her palm before continuing. “I made a stupid bullshit mistake last night and forgot to lock up last night. This morning there was a painted M on the inside of my kitchen window. The inside. The fucker was in my house. I found the paint can in my garage, which he somehow knew the code to. He left behind souvenirs from where Waverly and I were last night. Showing us that he was there the whole time.”

“Jesus. She must have been pretty upset. You guys are going to take it to the chief right?”

“I will when we get in.”

“Waverly doesn’t want to be there?”

There was a hesitation that he must have picked up on. She stared down at her coffee, not wanting to admit it out loud. Her jaw clenched, feeling as tears pricked her eyes. “She ended it didn’t she?” he asked solemnly. She couldn’t bare to look. She heard him sigh, and felt a comforting hand rest against her own. “I’m sorry,” he put simply. 

“She said she doesn’t want me to get hurt because of her.” 

“Well, the Nicole I know isn’t going to settle for that.”

“What am I supposed to do? She won’t talk to me, she wouldn’t stay.”

“Do you care about her?”

“Yes. More than anything.”

“So fight like hell Nicole.”

He was right. She couldn’t give up. Not like this. 

They changed subjects as they went on with their lunch. Talking about work, news in the NBA, and Mason’s complete lack of a love life. He helped her put her mind at ease as they enjoyed lunch together. He always found a way to help. That’s why he’s her best friend after all.  

Lunch drew to a close, and they made their separate ways to the campus. As much as was dreading paperwork, she was looking forward to being back at the station. She had missed being apart of the team; even if some of them were numbskulls. She had given the chief the items left in her garage the minute she set foot into the station. Officers Parker and Chang were the two working on the case, but that’s all he was willing to tell her. 

The next six hours she spent behind a desk. Her first day back was far better than expected. Her coworkers welcomed her back with ease. It was like no time had passed, even though it was only about a week. Three more weeks of paperwork and she’d be back in the field, patrolling the campus and arresting drunk frat boys. Her mind was kept busy as she processed the intense backlog of paperwork, all thoughts of Waverly only lightly grazing her brain. 

She had skipped her first break to get back into the swing of things, but when her dinner break came around, she was looking forward to having a brief period of time to herself. Mason was out on patrol, and many of the other officers had left for the day. She only had 10 more minutes before she had a half hour break. After that, just a couple more hours until her shift was over. 

She heard the door open. She looked up ready to great the visitor. She was dumbstruck to find Waverly looking back at her. 

“Wave,” she stood as Waverly moved towards her. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she saw tears threatening to fall.

She heard a booming voice behind her. “Ms. Earp, thank you for coming. My office please.” She turned to find the chief standing in the doorway of his office. She turned back to Waverly, catching a nod before she moved past her. What she would give to be in the office with her. Holding her hand. Telling her all would be okay. 

Ten minutes later, she emerged from the office. She hesitantly walked to meet Waverly half way, happy to find she wasn’t running away. 

“Hi,”

“Hi… I’m uh, about to take my dinner break. Can I walk you back to your dorm?”

Waverly shifted on her feet, clearly not knowing how to respond. “I know you can protect yourself, but if not for you, for me.”

She earned a tight smile and a nod. Her heart leapt. It wasn’t over; not completely. 

They walked in silence, standing a little closer together friends would. It took all of Nicole’s willpower not to envelope her in her arms. Even now, in her most vulnerable state, she was still breathtaking. She was going to fight like hell. Just like Mason said, but she needed somewhere to start. 

“How was your meeting with the chief? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Um… not great. Apparently they spoke with Champ and Greg. They both denied I was ever there. Luckily I had a text from Champ asking me to wait. He uh- he also told me you brought in the things you found this morning. Said it was really smart,  but that’s nothing new is it?”

Silence took over once more. She expected Waverly to stop her at the entrance of the building, but was pleasantly surprised when they kept walking. They arrived at her door, Nicole standing behind Waverly as she unlocked her door. She did a quick peek inside, happy to see the lack of a note on her floor. Waverly turned, startled by Nicole’s proximity - but she didn’t move. 

“Nic-”

“Look Waverly, I know you’re upset about what happened this morning.” She reached down and took Waverly’s hands in her own. “And I know you’re scared. And if you need some time to process everything… I get it. But I don’t want this to end. I’m fighting for you, for us.”

“Nicole I-”

“Please… just hear me out okay?” When Waverly nodded, she continued. “I know what I felt last night. And I know you felt it too. I’m not taking back anything I said. I’m all in, for you. If you can look at me right here, right now and tell me you don’t want this too, I’ll leave it alone. But if you want this, truly want what I think can be a beautiful relationship, I’m ready.” 

“I need some time. Please.” she choked through tears.

“Of course.”

“Just… don’t give up.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Waverly stood on her toes, placing a tender kiss on Nicole’s cheek. It was more affectionate than anything they had done in the last 24 hours. 

“Goodnight, Nicole.”

“Goodnight, Waves.”

Waverly closed her door, as Nicole turned to walk back to the station. Her break would be over by the time she got back to the station, but nothing was better than hearing promising words tumble from Waverly’s lips.


	16. sixteen

Two weeks.

It had been two weeks since M invaded Nicole’s home. Two weeks since Waverly walked out on her, and two weeks since Nicole began her fight. Things between the two during the first week had been strictly platonic, exchanging friendly glances and waves. They’d meet for a cup of coffee every couple of days at the campus coffee shop, but much to Nicole’s despise, they sat at separate tables. She insisted they not be seen together in public at all.  They’d speak to each other over the phone, while sitting across the coffee shop and leaving 10 minutes apart.

Week two had been slightly better. Waverly was okay sitting at the same table, but they kept their distance in their seats - no matter how hard it was for both of them to not leap across the table and have their way with each other. She’d watch as Waverly would err on the side caution, glancing around at the patrons in the shop before slipping in sly wink or compliment into their conversation.

Nicole was miserable. Utterly, hopelessly miserable, but if that’s what Waverly needed for the time being, she wasn’t going to stray. They didn’t spend any time off campus together. Waverly kept herself busy with her studies, and Nicole secluding to her house each lonesome night. They’d talk for a few hours, far more comfortably in their respective quarters, but Nicole always wanted more. She knew Waverly did too. After the incident, Nicole called a locksmith and had her locks changed, as well as changed the code to her garage. She even went as far as to install security cameras on the property. With all these precautions taken, Waverly still refused to set foot in her home. She didn’t want to draw him to her house, no matter how secure it may be.

M was… quiet. Waverly had received one note two days after their date, but none since that day. The countdown that had begun prior to their date hadn’t returned, and they assumed that something threw a wrench in his plan. What that was, they couldn’t be sure.

_Waverly,_

_I guess it’s true._

_Actions do speak louder than words._

_Sincerely Yours,_

_M_

Not much progress had been made on Waverly’s case. Unfortunately the police departments in the county had limited funding, the university precinct receiving the least of all. Their resources were limited and without hard evidence they couldn’t pursue any suspects. That was the other problem - there weren’t any concrete suspects. This M guy was smart. He managed to plant the items in Nicole’s garage without leaving a single trace of DNA. No prints, no hair, nothing. That’s exactly why he did it too. The invasion on her home felt less like a message to Waverly, and more of one to Nicole. A message of ‘I won’t get caught’.

Nicole sat in her living room on a Friday night, scrolling through Netflix deciding on what mediocre show she’d start but never finish. It had been a relatively good day, but she wasn’t ready to turn in. She wanted nothing more than to have Waverly nestled on the couch with her, but Waverly again insisted she stay in her dorm. She heard her phone vibrate next to her. She had thought about texting Mason to see if he wanted to get together, but part of her wanted to leave her night open in case Waverly changed her mind.

Turns out that was the best decision she had made that day.

_8:15 PM: Hey :) Wynonna has convinced me to leave the dorms. She wants to go a club in the city with a bunch of her friends. Some place called Temptation.  I figure we’ll be far enough away… think you can join us? The more the merrier. If you have anyone you want to invite please do so._

Nicole didn’t even hesitate to respond. The club was a good 45 minutes away, maybe she’d have some time to steal Waverly away.

_8:15 PM: Sounds great! Sure I’ll invite a couple buddies from the station. What time?_

Waverly responded almost immediately. 10:00 PM.

She opened her thread with Hartman, Daniels, and Parker.

_8:17 PM: Anyone up to hitting a club with me and some friends? We’re going to Temptation in the city. 10:00 PM._

Daniels was the first to respond.

_8:18 PM: Can’t. Have a date tonight._

Mason quickly chimed in.

_8:19 PM: Pretty sure watching Three’s Company with your mom doesn’t count as a date James._

_8:19 PM: I’m in! I’ll pick you up Haught. Pretty sure Jordan is working tonight. You won’t hear from him. Be there in an hour._

Nicole quickly jumped up to get ready. She showered, applied some light makeup, and dressed for the night. She wore a gray pair of jeans, navy button up, and a black blazer, hoping it would have some sort of affect on Waverly. She wasn’t sure how she’d look, but to her Waverly could show up in a garbage bag and she’d be blown away.

She snapped a quick picture in the bathroom, sending it to Waverly with a ‘How’s this?’ caption. She placed her phone in her pocket before heading back to the living to wait for Mason. Nerves began to creep over her. The two were currently residing in a weird limbo between friends and _more than_ friends. She wasn’t sure how much flirting Waverly would be comfortable with at the club, if any at all. She didn’t want to push, but she told Waverly she wasn’t giving up on her.

She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.

_9:09 PM: Hot damn Haught. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to keep my hands off of you._

Before she could respond, there was a knock on the front door. She opened the door finding Mason smiling back at her.

“You ready?”

“Sure thing.” She turned, setting the alarm for her new security system before heading out the door. Once in the car, Mason handed Nicole the aux cord, requesting music to keep him awake during the drive.

“I’m too old for this shit.”

“You’re younger than me dumbass.”

“What’s your point? I’m still too old to be going out to a club, and so are you Haught.”

“Then why are you here? No one was twisting your arm. You could’ve said no.”

“I was bored and you won’t hang out with me.”

“We had lunch two days ago!”

“It was our lunch break! Come on Nicole we haven’t hung out since you started dating Waverly.”

“We’re not- she’s not - you’re the one who told me to fight for it! We don’t spend a lot of time together face to face. She’s scared about M seeing us together,” she stammered.

“I know I know, doesn’t mean I don’t miss you.”

“You’re a sap.”

“You wouldn’t have it any other way.”

She really wouldn’t. He was a sap. He was never afraid to show his emotions and Nicole found it refreshing. Her other friends that she made in the academy and in the station were mostly macho men; guys who would try to outman each other and put each other down for showing any emotions at all. So when Mason cried during a viewing _Steel Magnolias_ , it only furthered her idea that Mason was a friend for life.

They enjoyed the drive, spending some much needed time together outside of work. Nicole agreed to wing-woman for him, but she couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t find herself otherwise occupied. They arrived at the club, the beat of the music vibrating the ground around them. It was 10:05 by the time they arrived. Looking around, she didn’t see Waverly’s jeep, but she couldn’t sure if she even drove.

They entered the dark loud club, people flowing in and out of the door, groups standing by the bar and swaying on the dance floor. She spotted Waverly in a group of women by the bar, her head thrown back in laughter. That damned laugh that shook Nicole to her core. She couldn’t hear anything over the sound of the booming beats, but she could hear her laugh clear as day.

They moved through the crowds of people until they finally stood at the bar next to the group.

“Nicole hi!” Waverly beamed. “I’m happy you’re here.”

The air between them was light. The tension M had caused had been temporarily lifted by the dim lights of the club. They could barely see each other, but Nicole could see the brightness in Waverly’s eyes. It had been awhile since she had seen that sparkle. It was a relief to see it again.

She leaned down to bring her lips to Waverly’s ear, feeling her hand find its’ placement on her lower back, edging her just the slightest bit closer.

“You’re beautiful,” she husked. Waverly’s hand reacted to the words, grabbing a handful of Nicole’s shirt under her blazer. She pulled away just slightly, catching Waverly’s eye. She bit down on her lip, coaxing a smile out of Nicole. She felt another hand on her shoulder, gently pulling her away.

“Hi Waverly,” Mason interrupted.

“Hey, glad you could make it!” she pulled him into a hug. “Let me introduce you guys to everybody.”

There were four other women in the group outside of Waverly and Wynonna. Nicole had recognized the blonde, Chrissy, but the other three were unfamiliar. She introduced them as Juliet, Abigail and Gina, friends of Wynonna’s. Mason quickly found himself in the middle of all four, much to his delight. Nicole couldn’t help but roll her eyes and snicker, turning her attention back to Waverly. Wynonna had “made nice” with the bartender, and was already three whiskeys deep.

“And then there were two,” she heard Waverly mutter into her ear. “Glad to see Mason’s hitting it off with literally all of them.” she laughed, nodding her head at the group of women shamelessly running their hands over him. “Wanna dance?” Waverly smirked flirtatiously. She was at a loss of words, only able to respond with a nod. This was the closest they had been in weeks, and Nicole suddenly felt that she couldn’t breathe. Waverly was intoxicating. Her shampoo, perfume, the slightest tinge of alcohol on her breath was enough for Nicole’s world to spin.

She never took her eyes off of Waverly’s as she guided them to the dance floor. Waverly walked backwards through the crowd, pulling Nicole with her. They landed somewhere in the middle of the dance floor, the music getting louder and louder the closer they came together. They started swaying to the music, Nicole keeping one hand in Waverly’s. They weren’t too close, and every fiber of her being screamed to move closer. She shouldn’t, Waverly needed time, but she couldn’t stay away.

She moved in ever so slightly, allowing Waverly to back away if needed. Waverly mirrored her movement, stepping into Nicole’s space completely. She dropped Nicole’s hand, bringing both arms to wrap around her neck, as Nicole’s hands found purchase on Waverly’s hips. They moved to the beat, hips bumping into each other; Nicole felt her lips part as she looked down at Waverly. She was breathtaking. She moved perfectly in rhythm, the slightest bead of sweat collecting on her temple, a blinding smile painted on her face. Songs blended throughout the night as they continuously changed positions. They moved in tandem, Waverly’s body flush against hers. All was perfect. All was right. If only for a few moments.

The smile suddenly faded as Waverly began slowing her movements. Nicole grew concerned at the sudden change, moving away slowly to allow Waverly room to move if need be. Waverly pulled her back before she could move too far. She watched as Waverly looked around the club, unsure of who or what she was looking for. A smaller smile returned as Waverly turned back to Nicole, and before she knew it they were moving again. They moved through the crowd, the music slightly softening as they moved towards the back of the club. She wasn’t sure where they could possibly be going, only a dark corner in their path.

When she was sure they were about to stop, Waverly kept going - pulling Nicole along with her. They didn’t stop until Waverly’s back hit the wall, the dim light keeping Waverly’s face slightly illuminated. She pulled Nicole closer by her jacket, Nicole’s hand landing finding the wall behind her head, the other hand brushing down her arm. She watched as Waverly stood on her toes, bringing her lips to Nicole’s ear. “I’ve missed you.” She put deeply, before grazing the officer’s earlobe with her teeth. She pulled back allowing her head to rest against the wall, a slight smile creeping onto her face.

Kissing Waverly would complicate things further, if that was even possible. She knew when they left this club, things would go back to how they were. They couldn’t spend time together. She couldn’t hold her. She couldn’t treat Waverly how she deserved to be treated. Was she really willing to put herself through that torture, if that meant she’d feel Waverly pressed against her for a few short hours?

She sure was.

She pushed forward, claiming Waverly’s lips in a steaming fashion. Their lips moved together swiftly, like they had been doing it for years. Waverly snaked her hands up the front of her button up, grasping her neck to pull her impossibly closer. The sounds of the music and the crowd slowly faded as she melted further into Waverly’s embrace. She felt Waverly’s lips part, begging Nicole to run her tongue against her; she happily obliged. She felt the vibrations of Waverly’s moans reverberate against her lips, sending a rush of heat throughout her body. She felt like she was burning up, between the heat of the club and the molten lava that ran through her core. There wasn’t enough air in the room.

They weren’t frantic. They weren’t hurried. They moved slowly, half the tempo of the beat of what had become faint music; savoring this stolen moment. There was a desperation behind it, but Nicole couldn’t get enough of it. Waverly was the first to pull away, eyes blown wide.

Reality had hit, not just for Nicole it had seemed.

The sparkle in her eye had faded, the stomach churning fear returning in its place. Nothing needed to be said. The words were written on her face clear as day, even through the haze of the club. She cupped Waverly’s cheeks, rubbing her thumbs across them. She felt wet tears land on her thumbs, which she quickly wiped away. She pulled Waverly in close, wrapping her arms around her shoulders before bringing her mouth to Waverly’s ear.

“I made you a promise, I’m not giving up.” she squeezed a little tighter. “It kills me to see you like this, Wave. Please let me do something.”

She felt Waverly shake her head against her chest. She had to do something. If the police department wasn’t going to find this man, she would. She was going to put an end to it. She had to. For Waverly. Not just so they could be together, but so she could live her life again. No one should have to hide this way, especially someone like Waverly.

She held onto Waverly as the music continued to play. They stood in the dark corner of the club, holding on to dear life.

“We’ve got a song request, going out to a special young lady. This goes out to Irene, sincerely, from your Cornelius.”

She heard the DJ’s words boom throughout the building, the names hitting her deep. She heard those names repeated throughout her childhood home. The music of Carol Channing echoing through the halls. That same music she heard two weeks ago.

Irene.

Cornelius.

_Sincerely._

He was here.

She pulled out of Waverly’s embrace, taking her by the wrist as they moved swiftly through the crowd towards their friends. She heard Waverly calling her name behind her, trying to get her to stop. Approaching the bar, she found the group of dancing women Waverly had came with, her friend nowhere in sight. She wanted to track this M down, and she was going to need help.

“Where is Mason?” she called out to the women.

“Whaaat? Who’s Mason?” one of them drunkenly responded, not even thinking of slowing their dancing. Was she serious? Who the hell else would she be talking about?

“The guy that came here with me,” she clarified with growing irritation.

“Ohhhh! I think he went to the bathroom. Gina we need more tequila!”

She shook her head as she turned to Waverly, wearing a concerned frown. Waverly hadn't yet connected the dots. Waverly’s eyes searched Nicole’s face for any indication of what was going on.

“Wave, it-” she stopped to hear the song that had been playing. The song that had been dedicated to Waverly. 

_‘They say I did something bad, then why’s it feel so good? They say I did something bad, but why’s it feel so good? Most fun I ever had and I’d do it over and over and over again if I could, it just felt so good, good’_

Fucking. Poetic. No not poetic. Pathetic.

She looked back down at Waverly, who was still confused as to what was happening.

“Wave, this song. Irene. Cornelius. Those are characters from Hello Dolly…” Her heart shattered as she saw the realization dawn on Waverly. “I’m going to find Mason and I’m going to f-” she stopped when she saw quick movement through the crowd. A lonesome hooded figure pushing through young drunk patrons. No one even fazed by it. “Stay with Wynonna,” she yelled before taking off after him. There were too many people to run through, but she brushed through them as fast as she could. She kept him in sight, watching as he moved faster and faster towards the door.

_‘They’re burning all the witches even if you aren’t one’_

She saw his head turn to face her. She squinted trying to make out any features, but the dim lighting and distance between them prevented her from seeing a thing. He was right. fucking. there. And he knew it. He raised his hand slightly, executing a light wave directly at Nicole. 

_‘They got their pitchforks and proof, their receipts and reasons’_

He turned back, moving faster through the crowd.

_‘They’re burning all the witches even if you aren’t one’_

He was almost to the door, Nicole hot on his tail.

_‘So light me up, light me up, light me up, light me up’_

He reached the door, and broke out into a full sprint towards the parking lot. She took off after him, hearing the music fade as she distanced herself farther and farther from the club. The cold air burned her lungs, but she wouldn’t stop. The figure was getting bigger. He was fast. She was faster. He turned the corner down an alleyway, Nicole quickly following suit.

Rookie mistake.

A plank of wood came out in front of her chest as she turned down the alley, knocking her flat on her back. She squeezed her eyes shut as she winced in pain, hearing the plank drop beside her. She opened her eyes and watched the figure run towards a chain fence at the end of the alleyway, leading him to God knows where. Her chest burned. A combination of the chill in the air and the two by four hitting her square in the sternum burning her skin.

She laid on the ground, trying to catch her breath, cursing herself for making such a stupid mistake. The same mistake she made as a rookie. He was right there. She could’ve tackled him and ended Waverly’s torture. Now he was probably going to torment her more, and she could’ve prevented it. She wasn’t chasing him as an officer of the law, but as Waverly’s… _something._ She let herself get so caught up in what she feeling, she neglected to follow everything she learned in basic training.

Her not being able to work on the case made a little more sense with each passing moment.

She was finally able to stand, rubbing her chest as she walked back towards the club. She found Waverly and the group as soon as she entered, the song M requested now long over. She brushed some dirt off of her clothes as she approached them.

“Nic baby are you okay?” She dipped her head, feeling too embarrassed and ashamed to bring up what happened in the street, also pretending not to hear the pet name Waverly had used. She looked to find Mason approaching them, a drunk grin on his face.

“Where the fuck have you been?” Nicole shot harshly. She had no reason to be mad at him. She needed her friend in that moment. Someone who wouldn’t think with their stupid vulnerable heart, but would move like a trained cop. She heard Waverly try and calm her as she stared him down.

“I was in the restroom, these ladies have been pumping me full of drinks all night. Not that I’m complaining,” he shot a wink at Chrissy. He looked Nicole up and down, noticing the disheveled and dirty clothes. “What the hell happened to you?”

“He was here. I tried to find you. I went after him.” She looked back down to Waverly, trying her damnedest to mask her disappointment. “He got away.”

“Who got away?” Wynonna chimed in.

“Uh some guy tried to take Nicole’s wallet.” Waverly quickly put. Nicole saw a different type of fear on the girl’s face. She still hadn’t told Wynonna. Wynonna shot up her eyebrows, before shrugging and returning to the bartender.

“Maybe we should go,” Mason suggested. “It’s getting kind of late.” She didn’t want to leave, knowing he was somewhere close.

“Can I stay with you?” she turned to head, finding Waverly looking up with a hopeful smile. “I don’t think Wynonna and her friends are ready to go, but I definitely am. Think I can crash with you?”

If kissing Waverly was complicated, having her stay the night a God damn Rube Goldberg machine of complications.

She was screwed.


	17. seventeen

A beam of light burning into her eyelid brought Waverly out of her sleep. She felt Nicole’s breath tickle behind her ear. When they had gone to bed, Nicole made a point to face the other way, as far away from Waverly as possible. She had apparently shifted during the night, as she was now pressed up against her. She held onto this moment, relishing in the feeling of Nicole’s arm wrapped around her, as she recalled the events that had been the terrible cherry on top of their shit night sundae.

Waverly couldn’t help but feel suspicious on the way back to the house from the club. M dedicates a song the very moment Mason goes MIA? It was too... convenient. Nicole had been the one to drive them back to her house. He was far too “drunk”, or so he claimed, to drive. He sat in the back while Waverly took the passenger seat. He fell asleep shortly into the drive, but Waverly wouldn’t keep him out of her peripherals. She watched every move he’d make out of the corner of her eye, readying herself to leap into the back if he made the wrong move. She painstakingly waited the full 45 minute drive back to Nicole’s, devising the best plan to tell Nicole her theory. The theory that her best friend in the entire world, was her crazed stalker. Oh boy.

Nicole had to help him into the house when they had finally arrived. She deposited the drunkard on the couch, tossing a throw blanket lazily onto him. She watched as Nicole meticulously locked up the house. She hadn’t said a word since they left the club. She would hardly look Waverly’s way. She wondered if she’d be sleeping on this couch if Mason wasn’t here.

The last two weeks had been hell on them both. Waverly had never been lonelier. Leaving Nicole’s house the morning M left his message had been one of the hardest things she had to do. She regretted every second of it, but she couldn’t stand the thought of putting Nicole in danger. She’d never be able to forgive herself if something happened. This man was relentless; he always seemed to be two steps ahead of her. She hadn’t planned to go to the club more than two hours prior, yet he knew they were there; thus her mind fluttered back to Mason.

The two retired to Nicole’s bedroom. Wordlessly, Nicole retrieved two sets of shirts and shorts for them both. Waverly sat on the bed as she watched Nicole disrobed in front of her. She hadn’t known much about the pursuit, just that M managed to get away. So when Nicole pulled her button up down her sleeves, the large bruise painted across the top of Nicole’s chest filled in the gaps. Her gaze sunk to the floor. ‘ _This is all my fault,’_ she thought, hearing the sound of Nicole’s bathroom door close. She changed into Nicole’s clothes before climbing into bed. She couldn’t be sure, but she swore she heard the faint sound of sniffling coming from the bathroom. She didn’t want Nicole to hurt, not anymore. She waited with her head in her hands.

“How am I going to do this?” she whispered

“Do what?” She heard Nicole ask coldly. She hadn’t heard the door open. She looked to see Nicole standing next to the bed. Her eyes were red, she looked paler than usual, and a permanent frown seemed to have been sewn on her face. “End this again? Run away? Tell me I’m not good enough to protect you?” Her comments, though hostile, were not meant for her; not entirely anyway. She was punishing herself for letting him get away. Her head returned to her hands as she heard Nicole sigh. The bed dipped, a breeze from Nicole’s movements causing goosebumps to raise on her skin. “It’s not like I’d blame you.” she added quietly. She sat at the edge of the bed, facing away from Waverly, clearly bracing herself for Waverly to agree.

No way in hell she’d let Nicole think she was right.

She scooted to sit behind Nicole, wrapping her arms around her waist, allowing her chin to rest of her shoulder. She felt Nicole place her hands atop of Waverly’s, a sigh of relief escaping as she relaxed against her.

“I’m not going anywhere, Nicole.” She breathed deeply, hoping she wasn’t about to ruin what they were fighting for. “I just, I don’t know how to go about this.” Hoping to cushion the blow, she began massaging her arms and shoulders, feeling the skin raise under her touch. She feathered some light kisses across her shoulder, feeling Nicole practically go limp against her. “Nicole,”

“Hmm?”

Here she goes.

“Did you tell Mason where we were going the day of our date?”

Nicole’s eyes were still shut, enjoying the impromptu massage, apparently not thinking twice about the question.

“Yeah of course. He’s the one who suggested 313. Said it seemed up your alley. G-god Waverly that feels incredible. Why do you ask?”

She fell silent, pausing her movements against Nicole’s skin. She watched as Nicole’s eyes shot open, turning quickly to face her. “Why Waverly?” her question was stern, beginning to see the implication in her question.

“Nicole I-”

“You think Mason is M?” she suddenly stood, her voice raising at an alarming rate.

“Shh! Keep your voice down.” she stood quickly, briskly moving to the door. She cracked it slightly, peering out down the hallway to check for movement. She could hear faint snoring coming from the living room - he was either asleep or really _really_ good at faking it. She closed the door quietly, turning back to Nicole. If this had been a Warner Bros. cartoon, no doubt she’d have smoke coming out of her ears. “I don’t want to believe it anymore than you do, okay but think about it.” She approached Nicole slowly, trying to calm her. “He knew where we’d be that night. There were no fingerprints left on anything that morning. He disappeared when that stupid song was dedicated to me and didn’t come back until _after_ M got away. He and your friends came here the night I was attacked, like he knew I’d be here. ”

The night she was attacked.

His hand.

She turned suddenly, leaving Nicole in her place reaching for the door again.

“Waverly!” she managed to shout in a whisper. “What are you doing?”

“Shhh!”

She heard the snoring again once she opened the door. She bounced over to the nightstand, grabbing her phone before briskly leaving the room. Nicole was quick behind her, whispering pleas to stop. She stopped halfway down the hall, turning to Nicole. She turned on her flashlight app, before raising her hand, showing it to Nicole. She shook her head in confusion.

She rolled her eyes before explaining. “I bit his hand! Well his finger,” she whispered harshly. “The night I was attacked. He might have a scar!”

“No no no, you’re not about to check his hand. Waverly this is ridiculous he isn’t M.”

“Then he won’t have a mark on his finger when I check it. You can either help me or you can go back to the room, either way I’m checking.”

She watched as Nicole clenched her jaw, internally debating the options before sighing in defeat.

“Fine,” she gritted through her teeth. “But we need to be quick. He hates being woken up. Last thing I want to deal with is angry drunk Mason. Last time it ended with me with a black eye.”

“He hit you?! What the hell for? I have half the mind to kick his ass right now.” she whispered in disbelief. Violent tendencies; and Nicole had to be the one convinced it could be him?

“Not quite. He got in a fight with another drunk guy in a bar we were in. I stepped in trying to pull him away and he was flailing like a drunken idiot and managed to elbow me in the eye.”

Fine he didn’t attack Nicole directly… but still. Violent. Tendencies.

Waverly shook her head, bringing herself back to their current objective. “Ok, I’ll hold the flashlight you check his hands. You probably have a steadier hand than I do.”

“Fine.” she harshly agreed. She knew accusing Mason of being M wouldn’t go over well with Nicole, but she didn’t expect the complete hostility. She knew they were close, but it wasn’t so outlandish to think he was a possibility. For Nicole’s sake, Waverly hoped she was wrong.

They quietly moved towards the living room, careful not to wake the sleeping drunk. Naturally, he laid on his stomach, hands tucked under the throw pillow. One step ahead. Again.

“It’s like he knew I’d want to check his hands, the stupid _shit-ticket_ ,”

“He’s just sleeping Wave. He always sleeps like this. He’s fallen asleep on my couch more time than I can count.” She defended, before reaching for a tissue off of the end table next to the armrest. She looked at  Nicole quizzically.

“Is right now really the time for sinus care Nicole? I thought we weren’t trying to wake him!” she whispered angrily. They froze as he stirred, stretching his legs, switching the positioning of his head, and mumbling something incoherent. He finally settled, and Waverly turned her attention back to Nicole, tissue still in hand. Her eyebrows shot up and she shook her head, still questioning what Nicole was doing. She definitely caught Nicole’s eye roll, choosing to ignore it as to not make things worse.

Nicole lightly dragged the end of the tissue across Mason’s face, causing it to flinch. She kept moving the cloth gently against his face, until finally one of his hands finally moved to touch his face. It rested next to him, giving them the opportunity to inspect closer. They both knelt to get a closer view. Waverly held her breath and Nicole slowly reached to lift his hand. Waverly brought the light to illuminate his fingers. She knew it had probably been the index finger, perhaps the tendon between the thumb and finger. She held the light closely, feeling her jaw drop at the sight.

“No marks.” Waverly had felt so sure… it had to have been him. She turned off the flashlight, trying to hide her disappointment. Of course she didn’t want Mason to be M, but the sooner he was found the sooner she’d be able live her life again.

She heard Nicole sigh; clearly not as confident in him as she had previously thought. She began to lower his hand back onto the pillow, just as softly as before, while Waverly took a stand. She underestimated the distance between the couch and coffee table however, as she loudly bumped her knees as she turned around. She heard a sharp breath come from the couch, followed by a cracking noise, and to top it all off the sound of a thud against the floor. Waverly rushed to the end table, turning on the light.

Mason had sat up in the scuffle, his eyes now adjusting to the light as he shook out his hand. Nicole laid on her back hands cupping her nose, blood starting to drip through her fingers.

“You jackass I think you broke my nose!” Nicole exclaim was muffled by her hands. She pulled her hands away, Waverly wincing as the movement revealed the blood continuing to drip from her nose. She rushed to her side, swiping the tissue previously used on Mason and pressed it to Nicole’s face.

“What they hell were you guys doing? Were you holding my hand?” He managed to slur.

Waverly wasn’t entirely convinced. Maybe she didn’t bite hard enough to leave marks. As far as she was concerned, Mason wasn’t completely off the radar.

“Waverly thought that you-”

“Might have had alcohol poisoning.” She cut Nicole off. The two eyed her curiously. “I mean you had a lot drink and I thought maybe-” she trailed off, not quite sure how to finish her explanation, since she had no clue how to actually check for alcohol poisoning. “But it looks like you’ll be just fine! Nicole why don’t we go to your room and I’ll uh tend to your nose. Goodnight Mason!” She pulled Nicole by the arm, urging her to stand. She pulled Nicole away before she had a chance to say anything further, leaving a half drunk half confused, not completely exonerated Mason back to sleep on the couch; hoping he was too far gone to remember what happened once he was sobered up.

Nicole plopped down on the bed, groaning as she held the tissue against her nose. Waverly fetched a towel, taking away the tissue and holding the fresh towel to her face. This was not the night she envisioned when she invited Nicole to the club. Here she was, planning a night out with her not quite friend not quite girlfriend, expecting a joyous night of drinking and dancing. Mason’s fist and Nicole’s nose were not the one-on-one action she was hoping for.

“I seriously think he may have broken my nose.” she readjusted the towel, placing more pressure. Nicole flinched in pain before continuing.“What the hell happened out there? Why did you lie to him? He’s clearly not M.”

“Look why don’t we just go to sleep. It’s been a really long night. We can talk about it tomorrow.” The bleeding was slowing, and the bruising was starting. She knew this because she was so adamant on avoiding her line of site, knowing full well Nicole could see right through her. One look into her eyes and she’d see the fear and hesitation that lines beneath. She’d know Waverly wasn’t sold on his innocence.

Apparently it didn’t take much for her to catch on. “Wave,” She pulled the towel down, forcing Waverly to focus on her, however she shifted her gaze down to the bloodied cloth. “Hey, look at me please.” She finally conceited, meeting her eye line. “He is not M. Okay? So please stop with this ridiculous theory. He didn’t have any marks on his hand, he didn’t even know who you were until well after you started receiving those notes.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. This _theory_ was anything but ridiculous, and her ability to blow it off so quickly was bordering on disrespectful and condescending.

“Ridiculous theory? How could you say that? Look I’m sorry that your friend might be some psycho stalker perv but you can’t honestly say that it’s ridiculous to consider it. Can you account for his every move? Were you ever with him when I got a note? Look at this like a fucking cop Nicole, not like his friend.” She paused to allow Nicole to reconsider, disappointed with her solemn demeanor. She had been shutting down with every word Waverly spoke. “Let me ask you something Nicole, and I need you to be completely honest with me.” Nicole looked up to watch Waverly carefully. “Is the theory ridiculous because it’s your best friend and you genuinely don’t believe he could do something like that… or is it because it came from me?” Nicole’s brow furrowed and her mouth opened slightly. “I know I’m not an officer like you but that doesn’t mean my theory is absurd. Maybe you don’t know him as well as you think you do. I’m not trying to drive a wedge between you, but I think he’s giving me plenty of reason to suspect him. I really need you to try and look at this objectively. Do you think I want it to be him? Do you know how devastated I’d be if it was? I know how much he means to you.”

“No you don’t,” she interrupted. “You don’t have a fraction of an idea of how much Mason means to me. He’s been there for me when no one else was. With everything that happened with Shae, with my mom, the stress of the academy. You don’t know him like I do. I really don't think he's capable of doing something like this.” Waverly wanted to continue to argue, but her body was physically beginning to give out on her. Her eyes were heavy, her body was aching, but her heart was the sorest of them all. She couldn’t take much more. “But… I also care about you. So if you really think it could be him, I’ll do some digging - out of uniform only. I can’t be caught working on your case and it’ll be easier to hide if I do it when I’m off duty.” She started to speak, wanting to tell Nicole to be careful and not alert him, but she was cut off by Nicole continuing. “And yes, I’ll be careful. I won’t let him suspect a thing. And as much as it pains me… we’ll need to spend more time apart, if that’s even possible at this point. If I spend more time with Mason, and then if M strikes we’ll know it’s not him.”

Waverly agreed to the plan, hoping it wouldn’t take more than a couple of days to prove his innocence or lack thereof. Even though Nicole managed to agree, Waverly knew it had come from a place of reluctance. The tension between them resided as they climbed into bed together, Nicole laying as close to the edge as she could, facing away from Waverly. She knew not to push it.

Here she lay, a mere few hours later, Nicole’s arm wrapped around her as she quietly slept. Waverly had fallen asleep almost immediately, but she wondered if Nicole had done the same. She wouldn’t be surprised if she was up for a while, her thoughts kicking her brain into overdrive. She turned into Nicole’s arms, inspecting the woman’s features.  There was some solid bruising on the bridge of her nose, but she was still beautiful as ever. She ran the tips of her fingers across the woman’s cheeks, feeling the soft skin tickle her fingers right back. She stared down at Nicole’s full lips, letting the pad of her thumb caress the soft mouth, licking her own lips in response. Nicole stirred under her touch, eyes fluttering open at the contact.

“You don’t actually think that do you?” Apparently Nicole’s mind was still running. She couldn’t have been awake for more than thirty seconds before rekindling their conversation from the previous night. Waverly was hoping they’d be able to move past the discussion; fearful of lasting resentment from Nicole if Mason turned out to be innocent.

“You have to admit last night was very sus-”

“No not that. You don’t actually think I’d disregard an idea because you came up with it?” Her insecurities had surfaced during their conversation, manifesting themselves in this accusation. In her heart of hearts she knew it _probably_ wasn’t true, but her words and disbelief made her feel smaller than she had in awhile.  Champ always had a way of discrediting her; telling her she had such a “pretty face” and to let the big boys talk. Willa would do the same, somehow far less respectful than Champ. She wouldn’t even entertain anything Waverly would say; call her a stupid girl controlled by naivety. Even Wynonna, the sister that’s always been on her side, managed to underestimate Waverly constantly; more than likely without even realizing it. When she started to get to know Nicole, she thought she’d be someone to find validity in her thoughts and ideas, not someone to treat her as incapable.

“I don’t want you to ever think that I don’t value your thoughts and opinions. I’m just having a really hard time imagining he could do something like this. But that’s on me, not you. Waverly you are so far beyond brilliant it’s scary. Honestly you’d make an incredible officer, probably ace the detective’s exam on your first try if you tried.” Waverly felt her cheeks flush, those insecurities starting to subside. “I always want to hear your thoughts, no matter how they affect me. I hope you know you can be honest with me, even if it hurts me.”

“Can I be honest now?” Nicole nodded curiously. Waverly had made her decision. Was it the smartest decision? Probably not. Would it bite her in the ass? Possibly. Was she going to let M control her life anymore? Not in the slightest. She wasn't content with the idea of spending even less time with Nicole, even if her best friend was her stalker. “I don’t want to wait anymore. I’m not going to let him win, no matter who he is. I’m not going to let him keep me from you. I want you, all of you, in every way.”

“Waverly Earp are you asking me to be your girlfriend?” Nicole responded with a smirk.

“Nicole Haught is that a yes?”

That bright smile spoke the words Nicole couldn’t formulate. She couldn’t contain her giggling as she scooted closer, leaning in to capture Nicole’s beautiful lips with her own. It didn’t take long for their kiss to begin to deepen, her body heating as she felt Nicole’s fingers brush against the exposed skin of her hip. She pushed forward a little harder, rolling Nicole onto her back. Waverly had thought of their first and only time together constantly over the last two weeks. She missed Nicole. She missed her laugh, her smile, the conversations they shared, but she would be lying if she said she didn’t miss her touch too. She may or may not have had a series of dreams that would leave Waverly all too flustered when she woke up.

She swung her leg over Nicole’s hips, grinding her core into Nicole’s desperately, trying to relieve a portion of the quickly growing tension she felt between her legs. She sat up completely, looking down on the aroused puddle that was Nicole Haught. She shivered at the moan that erupted from Nicole’s throat. They had a lot of talk about. If they were going public, they had to be prepared for M’s retaliation. He was so unpredictable, and he very well may be in the other room. She couldn’t care less at this moment, as the tips of Nicole’s fingers made their way to the underside of her breasts.

Before they traveled any higher, the sound of Nicole’s phone ringing brought them out of their trance. Before Waverly could tell her to ignore it, Nicole had already brought the phone to her ear. She couldn’t hear anything but a man’s muffled voice speaking, deciding it was probably time to stop moving her hips.

“Hey Chief...um yes sir. Yes sir. I can be there within the hour. Okay, goodbye.” she immediately hung up the phone, looking worriedly up at Waverly. “He said there’s been a break in my hit and run accident. They’re bringing in the culprit.” Nicole had confided that they didn’t think they’d ever find the person responsible. The longer it had been the likelier they had fled the city or disposed of the vehicle; and now they were found. The idea that they were still out there, potentially harming other people weighed heavily on Nicole; more so than she led on. She was ecstatic that this scumbag had finally been caught.

“Did he say who it was?”

She shook her head. “No he said he’d tell me when I got in. I can’t believe they finally got them.”

“We should probably get ready then, I guess we’ll have to put this on hold.”

Nicole began to protest, but Waverly heard her phone beginning to ring. They shared a look of ‘ _no fucking way’_ before Waverly climbed off of the bed, retrieving her phone from her clutch. It was nearly dead, but had enough power to last her through the phone call. The phone call came from no other than the ‘Purgatory University Police Department’, as it had been saved it her phone.

“Hello?”

“Hello Ms. Earp this is Chief Greene calling, I apologize for the early call but I was hoping you’d be able to come down to the station as soon as possible.”

“Um yes of course I can be there… soon. No more than an hour. Is everything okay?”

“Yes, in fact I have some rather pleasant news, however I’d rather have this discussion in person.”

“Can you at least tell me what this is about?”

There was a pause on the other end, followed by a sigh.

“Miss Earp... we’ve apprehended M.”


	18. eighteen

Once Waverly hung up the phone and filled Nicole in, the two moved quickly to leave the house as soon as possible. They wasted no time moving around the bedroom; Waverly borrowing NIcole’s clothes until she could change at her dorm. Her dorm which she had no intention of stopping at before they went to the station, so hopefully her Nicole’s baggy jeans and a Toronto Raptors tee was acceptable attire. As they entered the living room, they found Mason still sprawled out on the couch. While Nicole went to wake him, Waverly steered into the kitchen to make coffee for them. She overheard their conversation as Nicole got him off of the couch, or mainly Nicole screams as she heard the words “where the fuck are your pants?” and “man I sit on this couch!”

She stomped into the kitchen, presumably to let him dress, grabbing a thermos of coffee Waverly had poured. They heard heavy footsteps pound towards the kitchen, a disheveled half-dressed Mason joining them. Nicole handed him the remaining thermos, explaining they didn’t have a lot of time and that he needed to finish getting ready.

“I’m just going straight home and go back to bed so I’ll just throw on my pants and we’ll go. Thanks for driving us home last night Nicole, and uh thanks for checking on me.”

“You remember that?” Waverly jumped anxiously; she hoped and prayed he wouldn’t remember. If he was M, he was smart enough to know they weren’t checking for alcohol poisoning. Even though the police department had apprehended said M, she wasn’t quite sure what exactly that entailed.

“Yeah I remember a loud noise waking me in the middle of the night. I saw a shadow when I opened my eyes and I guess my instincts kicked in, or punched rather. Sorry about the nose Haught.” He apologized sincerely as he gestured to the bruising bridge. All three sipped at their coffee before Mason began throwing his pants on. Nicole handed him his keys, guiding all of them out the door. Mason waved goodbye to them as Nicole set the alarm and locked up the house, taking off before they even left the porch.

“How many cameras do you have set up?”

“One in the front corridor, one on the porch, one by the garage, and one in the backyard.”

“Can we see if he ever went anywhere last night?”

“Not so sure they got the right guy?”

She fell silent. Sure they said they got him, but she her suspicions of Mason had not subsided. He could’ve slipped out during the night, setting up God knows what to prove his innocence. They sat in the car, tension rising between them as Nicole silently drove them to the campus. “Honestly Wave, I’m not so sure either. Yes we can check the cameras, but I also want to go back to the club and get ahold of their cameras.”

“What happened to ‘there’s no way he could have done this’?”

She shifted in her seat, concern written clear as day along her features. “After what happened I realized how right you were about this. How I’m not looking at it the way I should. If I’m ever going to excel in my career I need to be able to look at things objectively. I figure if they’ve got the right guy, then there won’t be any harm in verifying Mason was where he says he was. If he was telling the truth, then we can move on and he won’t be any the wiser. If he was lying… well I guess we’ll cross that bridge if we get there.”

Waverly reached across the center console, grasping Nicole’s hand tightly.

“Thank you. For doing this. I know it’s not easy.” Her hand was lifted delicately, a tender kiss placed on the open palm. “Hey I uh- do have a question about something you said last night.” When Nicole nodded, giving the confirmation to continue, she stumbled trying to find the right words. “Well I- you uh- last night - or I guess this morning - um you mentioned that Mason was there for you while you were going through things with your mom? You haven’t mentioned her before… I was wondering what you meant by that.”

The air between them thickened as Nicole shifted uncomfortably, as they hadn’t had much opportunity to delve into each other’s secrets and darker pasts. Family past especially. Neither had the courage or confidence to bring forward the skeletons in their closet - not like they ever seemed to have the time to.

“Oh,”

“I mean you don’t have to answer if you’re not comfortable answering don’t worry about it - forget I ever said anything.”

“Waverly,”

“Do you think I could snag a donut at the station? Or whatever you guys may have, do you keep oatmeal packets in your desk? You seem like you’d keep oatmeal in your desk - always so healthy and fit and hot and fit.”

“Wave-”

“I’m usually pretty healthy too, but sometimes I just want a good donut or cupcake. A girl can only eat so much avocado in a day you know? You know I had the best guac at this little hole in the wall type place that had questionable cleaning procedures. I’d eat that guac off the damn floor if I had to though. What’s your favorite condiment? You strike me as a honey mustard type of gal - or maybe something totally unexpected like relish or hollandaise sauce. Answer me honestly Nicole, do you put hollandaise sauce on top of your burgers? If you do that might be a deal breaker.”

Waverly had developed this defense mechanism in her early life. She’d often ramble through uncomfortable moments that she caused, hoping suddenly the person she was speaking to would develop short term memory loss.  Her curiosity would often get the best of her, especially when it came to Nicole. She wanted to know everything about her; not just what was on the surface, but the things only she’d get the opportunity to know. Those ticks and wants that she’d store away in the depths of her mind; and for the first time in her life she knew she’d be able to reciprocate.

Nicole hadn’t been able to get a word in edgewise as she’d continue to question Nicole’s choices of sauces. She couldn’t reject her if she never got the chance to speak right?

Real healthy.

When they rolled into halt at a stoplight, Nicole finally had the chance to turn her attention to Waverly. Babbling was much easier when the victim of your word vomit wasn’t looking directly at you. Eventually the words came to a stop under Nicole’s leering.

“You are correct - I am a honey mustard gal and no I don’t like relish. Can I tell you about my mom now or would rather discuss pizza toppings? Because anything containing ham, pineapple, mushrooms or anchovies should be considered a crime  and anyone who enjoys those should be convicted.”

“Excuse me, mushrooms on pizza is a must. I’m highly offended!”

The two shared a laugh at Waverly’s feigned indignation, the tense air diminishing with every giggle. “I guess I can forgive you for not liking mushrooms. I guess we’ll have to go half and half.” Nicole chuckled lightly before kindly agreeing. A comfortable silence fell upon them. Waverly knew it wouldn’t last, as she could tell that beautiful brain was running quickly in Nicole’s head; racking the right words and explanations. She lays a hand on her thigh, expressing the endless comfort she’d provide without a sound.

Nicole had been there every step of the way when dealing with M. It was about time she did the same.

“My dad wasn’t around when I was a kid. My mom always told me it was for work and he had been travelling a lot. That he wanted to bring us with him but she didn’t want me to have to move around the world constantly. That’s why I never heard from him either - he was always on a different time zone so we could never talk on the phone. The only way I even knew he actually existed was birthday card I’d get every year that was mailed to me, but it never had a return address.” They had parked in the lot outside of the station, but before Nicole could open her door to get out, Waverly pulled her back to continue her story in the privacy of her car.

“My mom was just a fucking rockstar. She worked odd jobs day in and day out that way to make sure I was taken care of. I know now how incredibly hard that must have been; how stressed she must have felt every day. She wasn’t receiving child support or anything, but had always found a way to make ends meet with a smile on her face. I’d go to bed most nights on my own, but would always wake up when she come in to kiss me goodnight. She’d do anything for me and she always made sure I knew that. I knew we didn’t have a lot of money, but she always found a way get me everything I wanted on Christmas.” Her jaw tightened, prompting Waverly to run her fingers through the officers hair. “I found out when I was in high school a lot of things about her. Things she hid from me to “protect me” as she put it. She would sell some of her personal belongings every year  and collect change anywhere she could. She’d fill a water jug full of coins and eventually take it to one of those change machines that would kick out cash. She’d do that every year to make sure I’d have things to open during Christmas. Unfortunately I had opened Pandora’s box when I had asked about how we were able to afford such things. Lie after lie kept spilling out of her. Most of them were small - little insignificant things that I didn’t even really remember.”

“But then… she uh told me the truth about my father. He hadn’t just left for work, he left for another woman. He had a whole other family and everything. Like two kids, a dog; pretty much the ideal nuclear family. She was the one sending a card to me every year from him. He wanted absolutely nothing to do with either of us, but she didn’t want me to know that. She didn’t want me growing up hating a man that wasn’t in my life. She said it was a waste of my ‘beautiful energy’.”

“Were you angry with her? For keeping that from you?”

“Honestly, no not at all. He wasn’t around, but she was. That’s all that really mattered.”

“That’s great Nicole. I’m sure that meant a lot to her that you didn’t hold it against her.”

“Yeah, if anything it brought us closer.” The car was still running as Nicole drifted back into silence. She knew the story was far from over. Unfortunately. Waverly had seen Nicole in ways most vulnerable, however nothing compared to the unguarded vision in front of her. “She was the first person I came out to.” Her voice grew increasingly duller with every word.

“How did she react?”

“She told me it didn’t matter. She’d love me no matter what as long as I loved someone with a heart of gold. As you can imagine, she didn’t care much for Shae. Said she was too cold and couldn’t love me the way I deserved. Tried her damndest not to call her the ice queen to my face.” Each moment passed, her breaths became shakier and Waverly couldn’t control the tears she felt forming under her gaze. Nicole laughed quickly, looking towards the sky to stop the dam from breaking. If only for a moment longer. Waverly continued to listen; her heart dropping as Nicole continued.  “She um- she passed away about a month before I started in the academy. She was the first one I had told when I got in. I called her as soon as I had found out. She was so excited for me. Told me she’d be in the front row the day of my graduation, even if that meant sitting next to Shae.”

“God Nicole, I am so sorry. How did she- if you don’t mind me asking…”

The officer nodded, chewing on her lower lip as she sniffled. Waverly had never seen such restraint in Nicole before. It was like crying in this moment would be terminal for her.

“It was completely unexpected. She had a heart defect that apparently went undiagnosed. She stood one day while she was at work, fell over and that was it. A heart attack. I debated dropping out of the academy even though I hadn’t even technically started. I didn’t want to do anything honestly. Everyday seemed to get harder and harder, my world crashing around me. I couldn’t imagine going through life without her...  Eventually Shae got through to me. While it wasn’t the most emotionally encouraging, she had persuaded me fiscally when she reminded me that my tuition was already paid in full and nonrefundable. I really struggled for a while when I first started. Things between Shae and I were already getting dicey, and my mother’s death really put more strain on it. I didn’t ever feel like I could talk to her about it. It was almost like she judged me for mourning. She didn’t even come to the funeral. She didn’t want to use her time off for it.” The more Nicole talked about Shae the more Waverly wondered what the hell she ever saw in her. She couldn’t imagine someone treating Nicole, this beautiful soul, so poorly.

“Mason was the first person I ever spoke to about it. One of the first times we went bowling together ‘Before the Parade Passes By’ came on the speakers and I completely panicked. I felt like I couldn’t breathe and… that the world was collapsing around me and I just started running. I ran and ran - away from the bowling alley, away from Shae, away from everything. I wanted to run and never come back.”

“Mason managed to catch up to me. He found me on the edge of town, lying in the dirt, crying enough to flood the town. I thought he’d call Shae or an ambulance, but he just laid down next to me. Grabbed my hand and held it while I cried. I have no idea how long we stayed there but he just waited. Waited for me to talk when I was ready. And I did. I spilled everything. For the first time in a long time I felt like I had someone who listened. Someone who cares.”

The tears had dried, but Waverly didn’t dare removed her hand from Nicole’s.

“There was a reason you took me to see ‘Hello Dolly!’ wasn’t there?”

A sweet smile erupted across Nicole’s face, as she nodded slowly.

“It was her favorite and became mine too. We’d listen to the album over and over again until we were dreaming in lyrics. Taking you to that show was my way of introducing you to her.” She rested her head against the rest, the smile never leaving her face. “God Waverly, she would have loved you.” The words escaped in a whisper so small, Waverly wasn’t even sure she was supposed to have heard it.

“She sounds amazing. I would have loved to have met her. Although two Haughts might be a lot to handle. I can barely handle you.”

“No I don’t think you understand. She’d probably call me everyday just to talk to you or invite you to dinner without me. No doubt you two would find ways to gang up on me.” While she knew it was a joke, there was an overall solemn tone that seemed to reside. She squeezed Nicole’s hand a little tighter, trying her best to provide the amount comfort she needed.

“Eventually it just got easier, but Mason helped me through a lot of it. That’s why I have such a hard time imagining he’d be capable of something like this… but we have to be sure.”

Waverly couldn’t help the overwhelming guilt creeping up behind her.

She was so focused on herself, that she hadn’t really considered Nicole’s experiences with Mason. Of course she knew him better.

Is someone who lays in the dirt to comfort their grieving friend the same type of person to aggressively stalk someone?

Was he really willing to betray his friendship?

Was M aware of their friendship and using it to his advantage?

Was M truly in custody?

_Is this finally over?_

These questions ran continuously through Waverly’s mind as they walked to the station in silence. Nerves had overcome them both, as the reality set in on what - or who rather - they were about to encounter.

The station was quiet upon their arrival. One officer sat at a desk, diligently working through paperwork. He turned his attention to them, calling out to the chief after acknowledging them. He quickly emerged from the open door of his office.

“Haught, Miss Earp. Why am I surprised you’re here together?” Nicole stuttered lots of ‘ums’ and ‘wells’ but somehow ultimately, yet adorably failed to form a coherent sentence. “My office, please ladies.”

Waverly felt Nicole’s hand envelope her, a slight squeeze saying everything she needed to here.

_‘We’ve got each other. We’re not alone’_

They took their seats, Nicole closing the door behind them. Waverly wouldn’t dare let go of Nicole’s hand. She could feel the officer trembling. She knew she wasn’t alone in the anxiety of being here. She was even afraid she wouldn’t hear his words over the sound of her heartbeat pounding in her ears.

This could be it.

She hoped to God this was it.

“We received a call this morning of some students causing problems at an off campus apartment complex. One of our officers noticed a tarp only partially covering a partly wrecked car without license plates. Matched the description of the car seen fleeing from the scene of your accident.” He turned to Waverly, looking her dead in the eye. “Along with the registration, we found these scattered across the back seat.” He reached across the desk, handing them a sealed evidence bag. She knew she couldn’t open the bag, no matter how badly she wanted to, but she managed to move the items around through the plastic.

Letters.

Letters she’d never seen before, all signed by M. The rest of the countdown she never received. Letters with details from her date with Nicole.

 

Notes.

_ ‘Dorm 3C’ - ‘She favors the back of the library’ - ‘Officer Nicole Haught Badge Number 22143, blue Toyota LP 6EL7JJ’ - ‘5318’ _

“My old garage code,” Nicole whispered next to her, shaking her head in irritation.

Drafts.

Phrases, words, sentences - all scratched out or rewritten over and over again. “Sincerely Yours, M” written repeatedly in different styles of calligraphy. Latin phrases defined and misspelled. 

_Photos._

Photos of her. Photos of Nicole. Photos of her and Nicole. On campus, on their date, in her home… everywhere they went. Together and separate. 

M’s entire existence was in this bag.

Nicole finally asked the pertinent question.

“Who was the car registered to?”

With some hesitation, he responded. “They’re bringing him in right now. Unfortunately this case is far out of our jurisdiction and we’re having to turn him over to the sheriff for prosecution. We’ll be holding him here until the sheriff’s department retrieves him.”

“Sir? Who is the car registered to?”

The sound of yelling pulled them out of their conversation. A loud crashing sound echoed through the door causing the three of them to jump to their feet. The screaming grew louder as the source came closer. The voice becoming more and more familiar.

“Let me fucking go you pigs! I didn’t do anything wrong!”

“ _Oh my God.”_

Waverly ran to the door, swinging it open as the nightmare became reality. Two officers escorting a clearly still drunk, disobedient, very much cuffed Champ Hardy through the corridor. Nicole was only a few steps behind, stepping in front of Waverly, resting her hand on the apex of her hip. The movement caught his attention.

“Hey! Get your hand off of her you bitch!” He struggled against the officers and his restraints. “I’ll fuck you up you fucking dyke! Just wait till I get out of here! I’ll fucking end you! Waverly! Baby I love you, God I love you so much. Don’t listen to anything these pigs say to you!”

Nicole pushed them farther away as they moved him closer to the holding cells, never straying from her protective position. He continued to shout obscenities and declarations as they moved town the hall, the words fading as fast as Waverly’s breathing finally returning. Nicole pulled them back into the office. The chief continued on about the plans for Champ, but Waverly couldn’t bring herself to listen. Her mind barrelled through the events of the last couple of months, trying to figure out how he was able to pull something like this off.

He knew where she lived.

He knew where her classes were.

He knew what car she drove; where she parked.

He wanted her back.

No doubt he did his research when he realized the two began socializing.

_He tried to hurt Nicole - that rat bastard._

“Waverly?” Nicole’s sweet voice managed to reel her out of her spiral. “Do you have any other questions?”

“I just want this over with as quickly as possible. I don’t ever want to see him again.”

“Your case will be in good hands with Sheriff Nedley. I’ve already sent him your file. Just expect him to contact you within a couple days to go over your statements.”

She was grateful Nicole handled the situation, she wasn’t sure she had the strength to deal with this news alone. Her ex-boyfriend, someone she perceived as dumber than a box of rocks, was incessantly stalking her all while hiding the fact that he ran Nicole down a month prior.

Saying it was a lot to handle was putting it lightly.

As they left the station, she could hear the faintest of pleas from Champ in the holding cells. They walked in silence back to the car, Waverly’s arm wrapped around Nicole’s. There was still an air of doubt fluttering around them. A doubt that shouldn’t _fucking exist._ They had him. He was in custody. The notes, pictures, all the evidence they needed to saying Champ is M.

Champ is M, Waverly!

Champ is M!

It’s always been him!

So why couldn’t she stop thinking of Mason’s disappearance last night?

Apparently they’re initial plan hadn’t changed even with the information provided to them at the station. Nicole must have been thinking the same thing. Wordlessly, she made a right instead of left heading towards the highway.

Heading back to the club.


	19. nineteen

The drive back to the club was almost as tense as their drive back to Nicole’s house the night of their date. Too bad this one wasn’t nearly as enjoyable. Nicole tried to use the empty highway as a distraction from the marathon of questions she had sprinting through her mind. Obviously Waverly knew Champ worlds more than Nicole did, but it didn’t take much to see he wasn’t exactly Al Capone. Either that or he was incredible at hiding it. _And if he really is M that wouldn’t be surprising._

Why did this have to be so complicated? Why couldn’t it just clearly be Champ? Why did Mason have to disappear?

Nicole had opted to not tell Waverly about the text Mason sent her before they all left the house.

_7:04 AM: Wanna tell me why you guys were acting so weird last night and this morning? I’m working tonight if you wanna grab dinner before._

She had yet to respond, unsure as to what she could and should actually tell him. She wouldn’t dream of responding until after she checked the cameras. At that point she’d have a better idea of the tone of their conversation. They hadn’t told him why they needed to leave so early, but she was tempted to tell him everything - just to see how she would react. She had always thought she was a decent judge of character; it was part of the reason she went into law enforcement. If she ended up misjudging Mason completely and letting him so close into her life, she had to reconsider her career.

Maybe she wasn’t as smart as she thinks she is.

Another fear of hers was the reaction she’d receive if he turned out to be truthful. If she told him they’d suspected him, no doubt it would put a damper on their relationship. She was terrified of the idea that he would accuse Waverly of trying to drive a wedge between them. She had every reason to trust him - well almost every reason. Why’d he have to be such an ass and disappear at the wrong time?

_Jackass._

If he’s innocent, she’s going to kick so far up the ass there’ll be shoe prints on the back of his teeth.

_Jackass._

“Who’s a jackass?” Waverly placed her hand across the back of Nicole’s neck, twisting the hair gently through her fingers.

With an empty laugh, Nicole responded. “Everyone. Champ. Mason. The jackass who cut me off on the on ramp. All of ‘em jackasses,” Her patience was wearing thinner and thinner with each passing moment, but feeling Waverly’s fingers tickle her neck helped appease that frustration. Waverly had a way of bringing her back down, even if she didn’t know it.

“Not me I hope?”

Waverly had expressed early her never ending gratitude of Nicole’s support throughout M’s reign. There was a sense that Waverly felt guilty for Nicole’s involvement - even though she wouldn’t change a thing.

“Of course not. You’ve never been a jackass.”

“Even when I ran away from us because I was scared? You know I regretted that the moment I left. I just couldn’t bare the thought of him hurting you.”

“I know baby.”

There was this little, extremely intrusive, thought that had been floating through Nicole’s mind since the possibility of M’s capture. Nicole was the constant in Waverly’s battle;the light to M’s shadow. She was always there to lift Waverly up when M brought her down. There was a part of her that worried that it was the savior that Waverly was falling for, not Nicole. That ultimately it didn’t matter who Nicole was as a person - maybe if she would have met ran into Daniels the day after they met he’d be the one in her life right now. He’d be the one holding her hand and telling her all would be okay. All while she sat on the sidelines  and wished it was her. She was smitten the moment she sat down and had coffee with the younger girl, whether she wanted to admit or not. Sure they had been on a date and slept together, the days building up to those weren’t exactly _easy going._ Who’s to say Waverly would still be attracted to her in three weeks when they’re no longer dodging this guy? She’d never let Waverly in on this little pest, this would be one she’d take to the grave.

“You know I’m looking forward to see you in action. I find a lady in detective mode mighty attractive.” Waverly suggested with a cock of an eyebrow.

_‘I guess we’ll see if you still like me out of detective mode.’_

“Well here’s the thing, I can’t exactly be in cop mode here. No one can find out that we came back here to look at the cameras. If the department catches wind of this I could be in a load of shit. I can’t exactly come out and say ‘Hi I’m Officer Haught on non-official police business but please let me see your cameras. Please don’t tell my boss.’ and I can’t risk telling them it is for police business and they contact the chief to verify.”

“Okay… how do you expect to get to the cameras then? You think they’re just going to let you look at them no questions asked?”

Of course she had a plan. Was is a great one? Probably not. Would they get caught? Possibly. Was she happy about what she was going to ask of Waverly? Not really.

“Well, I’ll need your help. Have I told you how wonderful and incredibly beautiful and charming you are? Cause I feel like it’s been a while since I reminded you of just how wonderful, beautiful and charming you are and how I sooooooo appreciate you.”

“Oh boy! That’s a lot of compliments that were completely unwarranted. Can’t wait to see what follows.” Waverly chuckled seeing right through Nicole’s half-ass attempt to butter her up.

“Hey they were not unwarranted! Can’t I just compliment my girlfriend and not have an ulterior motive?” She stole a glance to find Waverly staring back at her, a knowing pout lounging on her face. “Fine. I’m going to need your help. I need you to distract whoever may be there so I can sneak into the management office and check the cameras.”

“And how do you expect me to distract them?”

“I don’t know - flash a smile, maybe a little wave.” She put cautiously. Of course Waverly was more than her smile and wave; she was also a force to be reckoned with. A bright mind with a personality to match.

“So you want me to flirt. Got it.” Her tone was indecipherable, a wave of regret immediately flushing through Nicole.

“Waverly you know I know you’re more than just a beautiful face, and I would never ask you to do something you’re not comfortable with. If you don’t want to do it I completely understand. I can find another way - I just have no doubt they’d be putty in your hands. Lord knows I am.” She offered with a genuine smile.

Waverly didn’t respond, but unbuckled her seat belt and launched herself over the console to the backseat, much to Nicole’s surprise. “What the hell are you doing?” She asked, perhaps a little too aggressive than originally intended.

“How much do you care about this shirt?”

“What?”

“How much do you care about this shirt?”

“I don’t know it’s just a shirt, why?” She glanced in the rear view only to find Waverly moving around quickly through the backseat. She tried her best to keep her eyes on the road, but the curiosity of the events occurring in her backseat ate away at her. She heard the distinct sound of fabric tearing, but when she glanced up to the mirror, she could only see Waverly’s back. “What are you doing back there?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She could hear a challenging smile in Waverly’s voice. Suddenly she had regretted this plan. “How much longer until we’re there?”

“Just a couple more blocks.”

The district in which the club was located deserted during the day. A string of closed bars, clubs, and restaurants lined the streets; only cars of drunk patrons that took taxis and employees with the day-shift parked along the sidewalk. It was a quiet morning, only the sounds of leaves rustling in the breeze breaking the silence - that and the sounds of whatever the hell Waverly Earp was doing in the back seat.

“Alright I’m ready.” Waverly climbed back into the front seat, giving Nicole full view of the project she had been working on. Her shirt had been transformed to a crop top, torn at the bottom and tied into a knot below her chest. The dress she wore to the club was make-shifted into skirt. Somehow this woman could unapologetically pull off anything.

This was an awful, terrible, horrible idea.

“Wave, you really don’t have to do this. We can figure out another way. It was just the first thing I thought of.” They pulled into the parking lot, finding only one other car around them.

“Hey if it works it works. Just follow my lead.”

Reluctantly she followed as Waverly exited the car, adjusting her new found outfit. She followed closely behind as they approached the door - memories of the previous night bringing her blood to a boil. They opened the door and entered the building, allowing the door to slam behind them.

“We’re closed!” Behind the bar stood a single employee with his back to them, the sound of a broom brushing against the ground accompanying him. Waverly pulled them forward towards the bartender, and suddenly Nicole was far more okay with Mason being M. She could just deal with it - all they had to do was turn the hell around, walk out the door and leave as fast as they could.

‘ _Sounds great Nicole just grab Waverly’s hand a get the hell o-’_

“We’re so sorry to bug you...” Maybe it was the fact that her voice was an octave higher, or maybe it was the Southern Belle dialect that had snuck it’s way into conversation; either way whatever had just came out of her mouth was sure as hell not Waverly. “... but we’re already five hours into our road trip and my dear friend here needs to use the facilities. We were hoping the kind, handsome man behind the bar would be so willing to help us out.”

Nicole glanced around the bright empty club, spotting the undeniable ‘EMPLOYEES ONLY’ sign on a door behind the counter. Sure it could’ve been hidden around a corner or even up the stairs, but naturally it was behind the bruting beefcake sweeping the floor. The same bruting beefcake who was now making eyes at Waverly - because she suggested it.

_‘Nicely done Haught. Moron.’_

They stood directly across from him, only the bar acting as a barrier between them. A barrier she was grateful for as he continued to stare at her girlfriend hungrily.

“I’m not really supposed to let anyone in here during the day… but maybe I can make an exception.” It was entirely possible he hadn’t given Nicole as much as a peak at this point. She could probably strip down to her skivvies and he wouldn’t as much bat an eye. Normally she’d be okay with that, but not when her girlfriend was the source of his transfixation.

“My my I know we’d really appreciate it if you would. You’d be doing us a huge favor.”

_‘Not sure how letting someone use the restroom is that big of a favor but alright.’_

“What’s your name darlin’?” Nicole cleared her throat beside them, earning a glare from the man. Hey he actually knows there’s someone else here - _neat-o._ “Restrooms are back there.” He nodded towards the end of the bar, before turning his attention back to Waverly. She turned her back to move towards the end of the bar, realizing quickly she’d needed his back turned to ensure she was out of his peripherals. She moved as far as she could before turning back to Waverly.

Her heart twinged when she saw Waverly leaning over the bar, gliding her fingertips gently across his forearm as he whispered something in her ear. She playfully bat him on the shoulder as she shot out a bubbly laugh.

‘ _This isn't real, this is all part of the plan. Get your shit together.’_

She waved a hand quickly, drawing Waverly’s eye. She nodded towards the door and motioned to get him to turn around.

“You know I’ve always wanted to learn to bar tend. Think you can show me a thing or two handsome? I promise I’m a great student.” Waverly pulled away to move around the opposite end of the counter, meeting him on the other side.  He turned his back to Nicole, allowing her to glide into the office. She tried to ignore the constant giggling coming from the front, reminding herself it wasn’t real; even if this guy reminded her of Waverly's ex.

She sat down at the computer, counting her blessings as she easily logged on - no password required. She quickly found the camera system, conscious of the sounds she heard coming from the bar. As much as she loathed the situation, Waverly was keeping him occupied. Why’d she have to be so damn good at it?

She was able to pull four angles - one of the DJ booth, the entrance, the main bar with the restrooms in the back, and finally the back of the club. Her recollection of the time everything occur was shotty at best, so she began perusing through the footage hoping to find a sign of familiarity. The cameras didn’t provide much in the ways of detail but it provided just enough to determine if someone was where they said they were.

Movement in the back of the club caught her eye. Two people pushing quickly through people in a desperate attempt to get closer. Her and Waverly. She watched as the pair pawed each other in the confines of the corner, not exactly as discreetly or hidden as they originally thought. The aspiring filmmaker pointing his phone at them was evidence of that. Somehow running for political office one day seemed a little less likely.

The sound of glass shattering drew her attention away from the computer. She heard Waverly’s muffled voice through the door. “Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry. Let me help you clean this up. Is there another broom I could grab?”

“Yeah in that office there. It’s no big deal sweetheart.”

“ _It’s no big deal sweetheart.”_ Nicole mocked.

“Don’t move a muscle handsome! Save those for me. I’ll be right back.” She heard Waverly’s voice right outside the door as she turned her attention back the monitor. “Hey, have you found anything yet? I don’t know how long I can keep him distracted without like,” she moved her hands around the space between them, “touching him. I can’t keep 'accidentally' dropping bottles without expecting to have to pay for them. Plus he smells like chili and it's nauseating.”

“Did you say something?” His voice boomed through the wall as heavy footsteps pounded closer.

“Shit, shit, shit,” she whispered, turning off the monitor quickly. The office was the size of a coat closet at best; it didn’t provide much in ways of hiding places for Nicole’s lanky figure. Making a swift decision, she ducked under the desk, signaling Waverly to push the chair in after her. The chair came at her faster than hoped, bumping the already bruised bridge of her nose. She muffled a strangled yelp as she heard the door open. Waverly stood leaning against, blocking any view of Nicole.

“Hey, what are you doing?” He asked slowly. “I thought I heard you talking to… someone.”

“Oh silly me, I was just thinking out loud. I do that sometimes. I was just looking for the broom.”

“You mean the one you’re standing right next to.”

She fell silent. Nicole couldn’t see either of their faces, but she could picture them perfectly. She knew Waverly flashed that sweet, yet sultry smile. The one that simultaneously made your heart flutter all while there was an undeniable pounding between your legs.

“Silly me! Let’s get that mess cleaned up shall we?”

Nicole waited until she heard the door close and Waverly’s voice was a mere whisper before crawling out from under the desk. She turned on the monitor, releasing the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. She resumed the video, starting to piece together the events of the night. She saw herself and Waverly in the thralls of lust, knowing it was around this time M made his move. She searched for the rest of her group, finally spotting Wynonna dancing on top of the bar. The footage may have been dark, but that wasn’t exactly easy to miss. From there she spotted the rest of the group at the high top table a few feet from the counter. The four women Waverly had brought with her were all surrounding Mason, Chrissy draping herself over him; all five taking shot after shot.

She turned her attention to the DJ booth, spotting a familiar hooded figure making it way towards it. She flashed back at forth between the two angles, confirming her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her. Mason was on one, M was on the other. Mason, one, M, the other. The figure moved away from the booth and stalked closer to the two of them, keeping his head down to avoid anyone’s line of site. She watched as he watched carefully, occasionally glancing over to find Mason still very much occupied.

She watched herself pull away from Waverly, sparking M to start moving towards the front. She checked over to Mason, finding him downing a final shot before heading towards the restroom. There was a lot he could fake, but the amount he had been drinking and the way he wobbled towards the restroom was all too real. As he found the door, Nicole and Waverly found the rest of the group. M continued to eye them cautiously, waiting for the exact moment to start moving. Everything his did was formulated, every move he made was carefully planned. He saw Nicole’s eye catch him, and he was on the move.

She rewound the footage, only to take out her phone and take record the screen so she’d be able to show Waverly. There was one more thing she needed to check.

After closing the program and shutting off the monitor, she moved towards the door trying to make out any sense of where they may be. She managed to nail the hip circle on the gymnastic bar, now if only she could land the dismount.

She opened the door just a peak, seeing Waverly standing behind the bar and the bartender slotted right behind her, pressing himself behind her. Her instinct was to sock him clean in the jaw, but all would be for not. Waverly moved purposefully, extracting herself from within the confines of his body, catching Nicole’s eye as she did.

She carefully tiptoed to the restroom, finding herself moving towards the men's room with one mission in mind. The door opened with a squeak, Nicole slipped in, finally allowing herself to stand up straight and move around at her full range.

The restroom was small, only two urinals and one stall besides the sink and mirror. None of that matter to her, the only thing she cared to spot was the window.

The window was more of a slit in the wall. It was thin and long, and let just enough light in to even be considered a window. It didn’t take a detective to see anyone who came into this bathroom wasn’t leaving unless they left through the door, and even the shitty footage she recorded could show Mason very clearly entering and exiting the restroom.

Her chest began feeling lighter and lighter by the second; the realization that Mason was telling the truth made her sigh in relief. Mason was innocent, M was in custody; all was looking up.

She left the bathroom with her head held high, nothing could stop the way she was fe-

“Did you just come out of the men’s restroom?” She stopped dead in her tracks, the two behind the bar watched her. She needed a cover story,  an excuse, something to explain why she was in there.

_‘Damnit NIcole say something. You misread the sign, you’re not paying attention,  men’s rooms are always cleaner, it’s none of your damn business which restroom I use.’_

“Oh fuck it.” She picked up her stride, and Waverly went to meet her half way. She grabbed her hand and pulled Waverly into a searing kiss. The moan she earned in return let her know it was unexpected, but welcome. She pulled away slightly, smiling down at Waverly when those beautiful eyes smiled back. “Thank you for allowing me to use the facilities, but we should really get going.”

The dumbfounded expression painted across his features was surely a sight to see. Sure she could’ve just walked out the door and not thought twice about this guy, but she was really doing him a favor by showing him how unavailable Waverly was… right?

When he didn’t respond, they moved arm in arm towards the door.

“Bye Blaine! Thanks again!” Waverly called out, breaking into laughter as they left the club towards the car. “So? What did you find?” She asked eagerly as they climbed into the car.

“Mason’s not M. I watched as M was at the DJ booth and Mason went to the restroom. They were never within 10 feet of each other and there’s no other exit out of the bathroom. He was telling the truth.”

“Oh thank God.” she said breathlessly. Nicole pulled her phone and let Waverly watch the footage. She watched the loop countless times, studying a new pixel with every loop. “So Champ is really M.” She added quietly after a few minutes of watching the recording.

“I guess so. Look Wave, he’s in custody. He’s not going to hurt you anymore. This is a very _very_ good thing. We can finally move forward in our lives, together and seperate; as long as you still want that.” The last few weeks, hell the last few hours had been a whirlwind for Nicole, but she knew they couldn’t hold a candle to how Waverly had felt.

A sweet smile crept onto Waverly’s face, “Of course I still want that, Nicole. I think we have a bit of time to make up for too.”

Nicole started up the car, took Waverly’s hand in her own, and started their drive back to Purgatory. She had a promising career, a best friend she knew she could count on, and a girlfriend who despite her own insecurities, she could feel herself falling for in each passing moment.

Life was good. 


	20. twenty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely Earpers, oh how I've missed you all. :) 
> 
> A couple of things...
> 
> 1\. Thank you guys for all the support you've shown this story. I love your comments, thoughts, theories. All of it keeps me motivated to write.  
> 2\. I'm so sorry for how long this took. I started a new job about 5 weeks ago and my brainpower has been so caught up in it I've had a hard time writing. That being said, this story will not go unfinished. I have it all planned out, it's just a matter of getting it done. Next chapter will be a little different, and a good bit shorter but it's something I want to take a crack at and see how it turns out. I can't say when it'll be up, but I am working on it.  
> 3\. I want to apologize if you feel like the quality isn't where it should be. I'm very new to this, and I appreciate all the encouragement to keep going. I'm sorry if at all you feel disappointed with anything that I write. I'm genuinely trying to get better, and I know I'll improve over time as I write more and more. (Hopefully :P)  
> 4\. #FightforWynonna #FightforFuckingWynonna  
> 5\. I love you all with all my heart. Doesn't matter that I don't actually know anyone here. Y'all are a bunch of rock stars.

“What do you mean they don’t sell booze here? What kind of a sick place is this?”

“It’s called a rec center, Wynonna. They sell soda and nachos with plastic cheese if you’re interested.”

“As far as I’m concerned you’ve brought me to prison. Are they playing for Marlboros?”

“I can’t take you anywhere.” Waverly laughed as she nudged her sister. They two sat on the bleachers of the local sports center, waiting for the annual “County vs. University Police Department” basketball game. Literally dozens of people, _count ‘em dozens_ , of people showed up every year to support their local police forces duke it out through layups and pick and rolls.

Nicole, even in her kind and good-will demeanor, was extremely competitive in nature. A side of her that Waverly knew all too well from their nights of playing board games together. It usually didn’t take long for Nicole to launch herself into the game, even if it was supposed to be cooperative. Waverly on the other, couldn’t give less of a damn if she won or lost; she just enjoyed the game and spending time with the woman she played with.

She managed to drag Wynonna to the game with her much to her dismay. In all the excitement surrounding M, she neglected her relationship with her sister, mostly in an effort to conceal her pain. When Nicole and Waverly had returned from the city the morning of Champ’s detainment, she had finally decided to come clean.

_“I don’t think I can do this.” Waverly confessed on their drive back to Purgatory. She had called Wynonna, asking to meet for lunch. With Champ in custody and Mason in the clear, it was only a matter of time until word of the trial got out. “She’s going to kill me for not telling her sooner and will probably try and march down there and kill him too. And she might just kill you for the fun of it.”_

_“Wave she’s not going to kill you. She might be a little mad but she won’t kill you.”_

_“You don’t know her like I do. There’s no such thing as ‘a little mad’. There’s peachy fucking keen, and I’ll shoot you where you stand. One or the other.”_

_“She’ll just be grateful you told her. It’ll be okay, I promise._

_Poor sweet Nicole couldn’t have been more wrong._

_“I’m going to kill him. And then I’m going to kill you.” Waverly pulled at Wynonna’s arms, attempting to hold her back from running down to the station herself and serving her own brand of justice. In turn, Wynonna found a new outlet for her rage. “And you!” she moved swiftly towards Nicole, shoving her backwards with every step. “You let him get away with this shit! What the hell kind of cop are you!”_

_“Wynonna, Nicole didn’t do anything wrong! Please just listen to me.”_

It took a solid 30 minutes, a greasy ass cheeseburger, and two beers to get Wynonna to finally come around to the fact that Nicole wasn’t the one to blame. That throughout all the heartache and pain M had put her through, Nicole was the relief that brought a semblance of balance to the whole ordeal, and while it helped with Nicole’s safety from Wynonna, it didn’t help the sudden spike in anger and jealousy.

_“Am I that bad of a sister?” Wynonna asked solemnly as she laid on Waverlys bed. The two had ventured back to the dorms together, hoping to spend some quality time together for the first time in what felt like months. “I keep going over everything in my head and I can’t seem to figure out why you wouldn’t tell me. You’ve known Nicole for all of what? Two months? Suddenly she’s you’re number one confidante? How do you know you can even trust her? What if she’s in on the whole thing?”_

_“M attacked her too. Don’t forget that.”_

_“Yeah or she planted it! You said yourself it was a squeaky clean crime scene.”_

_“Nonna please stop accusing my girlfriend of lying. Look I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. Please don't take this out on her. If you should be mad at anyone it should be me.”_

_After a few beats of silence, Wynonna finally whispered a response, shaking her head as tears welled in her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me Waverly?”_

_“I didn’t want to worry you. I didn’t him to come after you too. Can you honestly say you would have been fine just standing by? I know you Wynonna, you’d go after him.”_

_“Yeah, so? Maybe I could’ve shut that shit down sooner.”_

_“Or maybe he could’ve hurt you. I just figured the less people that know the better. The only reason Nicole knew was because I accused her of leaving the notes in the first place.”_

_“I’d never hide something this big from you!” The despair had made a swift exit, despise taking it’s place._

_Except that she had. She had kept the fact that she had heard from Willa after she originally left. Wynonna had been the one to say “Fuck Willa, we’re both done with her!” once the eldest had decided to leave. Sure she came clean, but it wasn’t until Waverly saw that dreaded name plastered on Wynonna’s phone one night when they were out. Wynonna passed it off as a chance encounter; a simple coincidence; a misdial. She bought it after first, but her phone kept ringing, and ringing, and ringing. Waverly opted to keep quiet. No accusations, no questions, she just sat and watched Wynonna nervously watch the phone, until the confession came spilling out like a waterfall._

_Waverly didn’t hesitate to throw that back in her face._

_“Nevermind the fact that you kept in touch with WIlla, after how she treated us. What she did to me!”_

_“Are you really bringing this up again? It was over a year ago!”_

_“You lied to me! We had an agreement. After Willa left, we BOTH agreed we wouldn’t even give her the time of day. That she wasn’t worth my time- our time but you were giving her all the time in the fucking world. You chose her over me! And you kept that from me!” Waverly’s words crumbled out of her; her voice barely passing a whisper. “You chose her over me, Wynonna. And you hid that from me.”_

_Through the collection of unshed tears, she could barely catch Wynonna’s face drop._

_“You think… you think I chose her over you? Babygirl I could never do that to you.” She moved closer to wrap her arms around the youngest sister. “I told you I didn’t know what to do. I thought when she’d reach out it would be easy to just turn her away. I just couldn’t.”_

_“You still lied.”_

_“Yeah well so did you.”_

_With the slightest of chuckles, Wynonna clutched on tighter. “I guess we’re both assholes.”_

It wasn’t an easy resolution to find, but the sisters got there eventually. Waverly held on tight to her relationship with Wynonna, no matter the hurt she felt. Nothing was worth losing her. Not Willa, and certainly not Champ.

Three months had passed since Champ’s arrest, his trial date still hanging in the chains of uncertainty. She met with Sheriff Nedley only a few days after him taking the case. They spent hours together, going over statement after statement, recalling every event, and speaking in depth regarding their relationship prior to the notes.

She explained Champ’s adulterous nature. How no matter how many times he’d make a “mistake”, she’d always end up back with him, no matter how much she despised it. It became a vicious cycle. She wouldn’t trust him, they’d fight, he’d cheat, they’d get back together. It was routine. It wasn’t until he blatantly hit on someone right in front of her that she decided she had enough. There was a sense of finality to their break up, and Champ couldn’t seem to live with that. He consistently tried to win back her affection, and from what the police gathered, stalking became his next option.

When their warrant to search his room was granted, they found a hidden chest filled with more photos, notes, and even belongings of both Waverly and Nicole’s. Items so insignificant they didn’t realize they were missing. Old notebooks, photos that were later to be found missing from their frames, single socks without their matching companion, scattered and bunched in this chest. All of these articles, including the ones originally found in Champ’s wrecked car, were riddled with his fingerprints.

Every. Single. One.

He would write and rewrite note after note until he perfected his thoughts, then use the pair of gloves hidden in his nightstand to write without directly touching the paper.

It was brilliant, but it was terrifying coming from Champ.

Nedley promised to keep Waverly and Nicole up to date on his trial, and while the idea of finally having a day she could bury this burden, there was a sense of panic that she felt every time her phone rang. Part of her was worried that his trial wouldn’t see the light of day and he’d just walk. He’d walk out of the county jail and right back into her life. Somehow Champ managed to affect her all while being locked behind bars.

“Please tell me this is at least a shirts vs. skins type deal. And please tell me every other player is some variation of Jason Mamoa. I can’t promise you won’t see your big sister going to pound town with 20 Jason Mamoa’s,”

“Wynonna stop being disgusting. There are children around and far too young to be scarred by you. At least wait until they’re 13 like you did with me. Then you can ruin their childhood.” Waverly hushed.

“You’re the one that asked about periods.”

“I asked about periods not step by step instructions on how to give a decent blowjob.” She heard a throat clear behind her, followed by rough steps pound the aluminum of the bleachers. A woman covering the ears of her young daughter glared angrily at the two sisters as they moved to a seperate section of the gymnasium.

“She’ll learn eventually!” Wynonna called out after them, earning a slap to the arm from the younger girl. “At least blowjobs can’t get you pregnant. Not unless you’re really creative.”

“I will not hesitate to leave you here.”

“I drove us here dickbag,” Wynonna added, poking at the nape of Waverly's neck, causing her to squirm in her seat.

The sound of the sneakers squeaking on the hardwood floor caused Waverly’s gaze to snap towards the locker room doors before she had the chance to retaliate. She watched as the Nicole and her fellow officers walked towards their bench, choosing to ignore Wynonna’s “doe-eyed” and “nevermind, more like eye-fucking” comments. She heard the beat of footsteps on the other side of the court followed closely by the sounds of hooting and hollering as the county police department came into sight.

They were… intimidating to say the least. She recognized some of them from her visits to Sheriff Nedley. The environment was far different from that of the University’s. There was a sense of brutality and machismo that didn’t exist on campus; whether that was a good or a bad thing, Waverly couldn’t quite decide.

Each team pulled into their own respective  huddles, but were over just as quickly as they started. 10 players stepped onto the court, wishing half hearted words of encouragement. One of the county officers caught her eye, as he whispered to his teammate as they stared down her oblivious girlfriend as she readied herself for the game. It didn’t take Sherlock to see their comments weren’t exactly positive. It took every ounce of restraint not to throw the deserted wrapped hot dog from God knows when that occupied the real estate next to her feet. She could throw it, but she wouldn’t want to disappoint Wynonna, as there was a severe lack of condiments on it.

It ain’t a weapon if it ain’t got mustard on it. No doubt she could hear Wynonna saying that. She wasn’t convinced she hadn’t heard it before. She let her gaze return to Nicole, who had already been looking her way as she finished stretching her legs before moving to her position. She felt a brush wash over her as Nicole flashed a wink and a small smile.

Waverly kept a trained eye on Nicole as she took her place on the court, anxiously awaiting tip off.

❋❋❋❋❋❋

Nicole was quick to figure out that no matter where she landed, there was a mismatch on the court for her. No matter who she guarded, she’d be at a disadvantage. After two _painfully dreadful_ quarters, she found herself alone on the bench of the women’s locker room with her head in her hands. She had a whopping two points, both of which coming from free throws. To make matters worse, those two makes came from four attempts.

She was put against Brennon Boler, a six foot guard that she couldn’t shoot over. Everytime she went for a shot, he blocked the attempt and only seldomly would she receive the foul call. He’d power through her on nearly every possession; it was maddening what he got away with. It wasn’t a matter of skill, it was a matter of strength. Unfortunately for Nicole, he won that match between them with excessive force. He’d throw wild elbows, set hard screens that would knock her to the floor, all while never getting called for an offensive foul.

Her teammates were the only reason they were still in this game. Mason leading the pack with 17 points. They trailed by eight at the half and had two more quarters to close the gap and the game with it. Part of her wanted to quit; feign injury or foul out of the game. Anything to get off the court.

“Penny for your thoughts superstar?” Petite hands ran delicately down Nicole’s burning arms. A sigh escaped her lips as she leaned back into Waverly’s embrace.

“Please,” she scoffed. “welcome to garbage time basketball starring Nicole Rayleigh Haught. I think I saw one of the guys kids shooting before the game. He could probably take my spot on the roster. We might actually win at that point. At least he’ll make a basket.”

“Hey,” Waverly leaned forward more, wrapping her arms around Nicole’s shoulders, dropping a peck to her cheek. “None of that. That’s not the Nicole I know. Not the one I fell for.” Nicole turned her head slightly and captured Waverly’s lips, if only for a moment before Wavelry moved away to straddle the bench. “Alright, so what’s the problem you’re having? What’s stopping you from scoring?”

“Well right now, I’d say this bench.” Nicole said as she scooted closer, running her hands up Waverly’s thighs. “How about we just ditch the rest of the game and spend the rest of the day binging Food Network shows of meals we’ll never appreciate.”

“Nicole, focus please.” Waverly reprimanded. “I’m not letting you give up like this. You need to see this through and you know it.” With a heavy sigh and a nod, Waverly had the go ahead to continue. “Now think back to the first half, what was the problem?”

“Boler. I can’t power through him. He towers over me and blocks every attempt of mine to shoot. I just can’t get the ball over him.”

“Alright maybe don’t try so hard to score then. Play a different way. Look I have only sort of paid attention to the games I’ve watched with you and your friends, but I’ve watched enough to know it’s not just about making shots. You can help create other opportunities for your teammates. Mason’s making shots yeah? Help him make more. Play unselfishly. If you can’t lead in points, lead in assists. Learn, adapt, adjust. You’re playing a **team** sport Haught, so play with the team.”

Nicole took a breath before reaching out to grasp Waverly’s hand. She kissed at her knuckles and allowed her forehead to drop on their union.

“How are you even real? Even after months of being with you, I don’t understand how I got so lucky.”

“Lucks got nothing to do with it babe.” Waverly cooed as she removed one of her hands from Nicole’s grip to brush her thumb against the beauty mark on the apex of her cheek. “Come on, the games starting back up soon and I’m about to witness my baby be the next… Larry Bird?” Nicole’s heart soared at the attempt. No matter how wrong it was.

She giggled as they rose to their feet, walking hand in hand back towards the gymnasium. “Shaquille O’Neal?” Jose Canseco?” Nicole laughed again, earning a nudge from Waverly. “Hey stop laughing! I told you I only half pay attention during the Raptors games. I only watch because I know you love it and I love seeing my baby happy.”

“And I only half pay attention to your ancient language podcasts. I only listen because I know you love it and I love seeing MY baby happy.” The pair entered the gym as everyone was finding their seats and the teams were huddling by the benches. They stayed back behind the bleachers as they watched the crowds.

She felt Waverly pull her head down to leave a lasting kiss on her cheek. “I’m proud of you. Don’t forget that. No matter what happens. Have fun out there sweetness.” Nicole held Waverly’s hand as she tried to walk away, never wanting to part. She pulled her back quickly, kissing her soundly. She felt the vibrations of Waverly’s hum against her lips. They pulled away slightly, a sparkle ever present in the irises looking back at her.

She could do this. Waverly believed in her.

“Thank you, Wave.” she whispered. “Thank you for not giving up on me…. on us.” Waverly’s expression changed ever so slightly. Had Nicole not been watching intently, no doubt she would have missed it. Her demeanor shifted to one of nerves.

“Nicole, I-”

“Haught!” she tore her eyes away from Waverly to find Mason waving her over. “Let’s go!”

“I have to go baby, but you and Wynonna are still coming over tonight yeah?”

Waverly responded with a tight lipped smile and a silent nod, the worried look on her face never fading. The game suddenly seemed far less important and all that mattered to Nicole was whatever what going through Waverly’s mind. She was ready to ask, but Mason called out to her again.

“Come on Haught! Let’s go!” She moved quickly, leaving Waverly with another quick kiss and appreciation before jogging towards the court. Waverly followed suit shortly after, joining Wynonna back on the bleachers. The look that previously concerned Nicole was gone, a bright smile in its place. Her own heart rate calmed at the change, knowing at least for a while, Waverly was okay.

With the blow of a whistle, the game was on. Eight points down, two quarters to go, one brick wall to try and play against. Mason inbounded the ball, allowing her to take it upcourt. Boler was ready and waiting for her at the halfway point of the court. She turned her back slightly, keeping her dribble steady as she backed into to him, not allowing him to take any swipes at the ball.

She pushed her shoulder into him, only to be met with what felt like a steel plate driving into her shoulder. She pushed again, backing herself closer and closer to the three point line -or at least she thought she was. The truth of the matter was he hadn’t budged. They were hardly past the center circle. Frustration rising she pushed harder and harder. She heard loud calls for passes, but the sound of Boler laughing against her was practically a yell. She pushed as hard as she could, causing him to fall backwards. She smiled widely and started her drive towards the basket, leaving the defender she had finally bested in the dust.

Then the whistle blew.

“Offensive foul, number 12. County ball.”

With a huff she dropped the ball and started moving back court. Boler was hot on her tail, placing his forearm near her side.

“What’s your little girlfriend think of you getting your ass kicked?” He pushed off slightly, moving to the paint as a pass came his way. Nicole followed swiftly, jumping with him as he attempted the layup. The met harshly under the basket. Their height differences continued to work to his advantage as his elbow made contact with her neck.

Fuck, it hurt. It hurt like hell, but she used every ounce of strength she had to bring her left hand past his head as the ball started to roll off hls fingers. She felt the leather of the ball burn the tips of fingers, effectively changing the course of the shot. The two watched the ball hit the rim as they landed underneath. The ball circled the rim, threatening to fall at any moment. As it made it’s second rotation, the momentum caused it to fall out the side giving Nicole the opportunity to secure the rebound. She could hear Boler closing it behind her as she held onto the ball. Scanning the court she saw Mason far from his guard, calling for the pass upcourt. With all the power she could muster, she threw the ball towards her teammate before Boler could get in her way. The ball soared over the hardwood, landing perfectly in its place in Mason’s hands. He drove the rest of the way, laying it in for an easy two.

The crowd beamed at the tip and the pass, the bleachers erupting in applause and cheers; Waverly the loudest of them all.

“That’s my baby! Whoooooo! Go Nicole!” she stole a glance as each team reset their setup, finding Waverly standing on the bleachers clapping sporadically as Wynonna tried desperately to move as far away from her younger sister without her noticing. Wynonna Earp, the woman who finished off a half eaten burrito left outside of mini mart, too embarrassed to sit next to her screaming little sister. What a sight to see.

Her attention returned to Boler, who stood only a few feet from her, dribbling between his legs. He was flustered, and Nicole could see it. A smirk appear involuntarily played at her mouth, causing a scowl to be returned. She let her eyes drift from his face to the ball moving in a perfect pattern between his hands.

Left, left, right.

Right, right, left.

Left, left, right.

Right, right, left.

Left, left - the ball moved against the floor towards his right, a split second of time that allowed Nicole to poke the ball away from him. She took off after it, gaining control brilliantly. She pushed her lungs and her legs towards the basket, glancing behind.

If there was one thing she could give Boler credit for, it was his dedication. He was only a pace or so behind her. A list of possibilities and calculations popped in front of her eyes. Drive to the basket, make the shot, draw the foul and get the “and-one”. Drive to the basket, get blocked and only maybe get the foul.

Or, she could go with option four, listen to the wise words of her girlfriend.

Running closely behind them was James Daniels. Her partner, her _sort of_ friend and the team’s most talented three point sniper. With a behind the back bounce pass out to the wing, James planted his feet behind the arc, not holding the ball for more than two seconds before releasing the shot and making the basket bringing the County lead down to only three points.

She heard Waverly cheer again, the thrill of her excitement lighting a fire beneath Nicole’s competitive edge.

The last two quarters continued in the University’s favor. Nicole channeled her inner Robin Hood as she made her focus stealing the ball and making plays. It wasn’t until her and Mason were brought out of the game to rest that the deficit seemed to disappear. They pushed hard towards the end of the fourth quarter, trailing by two as they called their last timeout.

Nicole and her teammates huddled up, discussing their plan for the last possession of the quarter. They had 15 seconds on the clock and they knew County was going to be playing the defense of their lives. The ran through the play over and over again, making sure everyone knew their role. With a final cheer and a shrill shriek of a whistle, both teams were in position to start the final seconds of the game.

She made a point to find Waverly in the bleachers, flashing a wink and smile as she found her place next to Boler. Waverly cheered again, and Nicole had been convinced she hadn’t actually sat in her seat since the start of the second half.

“Damn Haught, I hope for your sake that girl’s mouth is good for more than just talking. If you’re not putting it to use, I sure will.”

“What the fuck did you just say?” She wasted no time turning to face him, all thoughts regarding the game being swept from her mind with every word that came pouring out of his mouth.

“You heard me. Just wondering if she’s always been a screamer.” Nicole stepped closer into his space as she tried to forget he was in fact a police officer and would definitely face charges for socking him across the mouth. She clenched her fist, not unseen by the man in front of him. “Nuh uh uh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you.I have _way_ more pull than you little girl.” She paused, debating the realistic consequences.

Was Waverly worth it? Waverly was watching, she could feel those brown eyes burn into her back. Those beautiful, intoxicating, soul-crushing eyes. Those same eyes that she saw nearly every morning since Champ’s arrest. The half moons that would shine when Waverly would laugh, or the ones that would darken with every kiss to her neck. The ones that would dance across the pages of her textbooks and essays that she masterfully crafted. The ones that would search for Nicole during the night when she’d stir from a frightful dream. The ones that would change from fear the back to peace once Nicole was found.

So was Waverly worth it? She was worth the world.

Was Boler worth it? Not for a fucking second.

“You know maybe if you focused on the game more than my girlfriend, perhaps you’d have more points than turnovers. Maybe next time you can learn to pass the ball to your own teammates, instead of me. Get your head out of your own ass and play the fucking game.”

The ref blew the whistle, starting the five second count to inbound the ball, and their play was in motion. The four players moved across the court like a choreographed dance. Nicole ran the perimeter of the three point line, picking up the pass from Daniels as she went. She stopped in the corner, Boler soon towering over her. She held tightly onto the ball, waiting for what felt like hours for their plan to work.

The player guarding Mason finally made the move they were waiting for.

He jumped over to double team Nicole, giving her no access to move her feet. The two guards smothered her, trying to appear as large as they could. Unfortunately for them, that meant spreading their legs as wide as they could go.

Nicole found the opportunity and took the shot. Passing the ball through the legs of the second defender, she hoped the shoes on the other side belonged to Mason. From behind the two men, she couldn't see the rest of the play.

She heard the buzzer.

The game was over.

77 to 76.

Nicole finished the game with two points, seven steals, two rebounds, and 14 assists. Her fourteenth being the between the legs pass she made to Mason that gave him the layup as the clock was expiring to seal the game. That fact only apparent to Nicole as Boler slumped to his knees in defeat.

Friends and family rushed the floor, and the University team came together in celebration. Mason wrapped Nicole in a tight hug before pulling back but keeping his arm around her.

“We make a good team Haught. I knew I could count on you.”

“All the credit should go to Waverly man. She really helped me pull my head out of my ass during halftime.”

“Speaking of. Brace for impact cause I think she might topple you if you don’t.” He pulled away fully, pushing her to turn around. She was greeted by Waverly in full sprint coming towards her. She barely caught Waverly as she leapt into the arm, wrapping her legs around Nicole’s waist.

“Oh my God I’m so proud of you!” Waverly placed her hands on either side of Nicole’s face, peppering quick kisses on every inch of skin she could find. Nicole kept a tight grip on Waverlys waist, basking in the affection. It wasn’t something she had been used to in previous relationships, yet it always felt so natural and easy with Waverly - and she wasn’t about to complain about that. “My baby,” she paused to kiss Nicole’s lips. “is the best baby,” she kissed the left cheek “that there ever was.”

Nicole buried her face in the crook of Waverly’s neck, holding onto her like her life depended on it. Her smile faded as she held the younger girl, a contented sigh leaving her nostrils. The chatter of the crowd dissolved into mere whispers, and Nicole’s heart had never been fuller. She closed her eyes, not wanting it to end. If she could just hold on then maybe, if only for a few seconds, the horrors, the evils, the Champs of the world just would exist. All would be perfect.

In all the chaos of the game, in the mess of Champ Hardy, the embrace was a single point of tranquility for the two. Even though Waverly had been in a full sprint not 30 seconds before, Nicole could feel just the faintest of heartbeats pulsing against her nose where her face met Waverly’s pulse point.

She felt peace. She felt, well she wasn’t quite ready to say what she felt.

“Alright horndogs not in front of the children.” Wynonna cut the moment, a drunken vinyl scratching on the peaceful record player.

Waverly hopped to her feet, not letting the contact disappear completely as she kept her arms wrapped tightly around Nicole’s waist.

“Oh please like you have the right.” Waverly responded, leaning further into her girlfriend.

“Biiiiiiiiitch please.”

They broke into a laughing bicker, just as typical as typical could be. Nicole had learned quickly that the two, as much as they loved and supported each other, argued _constantly._ To make matters worse, it was the small, tiny, insignificant details of things that the two would get lost in. NIcole would sit and pretend to listen, which would ultimately get her in trouble when Waverly asked for opinion.

“Alright well I guess I will meet you guys at mine yeah? I’ll have a shower when I get back. I bought stuff for tacos if you guys are hungry.” With a promise of ‘see you soon’ and a chaste kiss, Nicole departed from the sisters, silently praying they’d be past whatever the hell they were on about by the time she met them at her home.

Nicole felt lucky to be spending so much time with the Earp sisters. It took awhile for Wynonna to come around to the idea that Nicole was not in fact a serial stalker, but once she did she felt that she had a friend in Wynonna, not just someone to be around since she was dating Waverly.

Their night was spent watching movies, eating tacos, just enjoying the general presence of one another. It wasn’t until 9 or so in the evening that Wynonna bid them farewell to quote “enjoy each other’s tacos”. With a swift kick in the ass, followed by a tender hug the sisters said their goodbyes leaving Nicole and Waverly to enjoy the final hours of the night together.

As Waverly wiped down the counters of Nicole’s kitchen, she kicked on some soft music gliding softly to her lover. “Dance with me?” Nicole extended a palm, taking the woman in her arms.

Nothing was said. Nothing _needed_ to be said. They swayed fluidly to the strum of the music, reconnecting in a quiet moment, once again finding their tranquility and peace. Nicole spotted the sparkle in gold fleck of Waverly’s eye, and Waverly took notice of the slight indentation where Nicole’s dimple started to poke through.

What they didn’t see were the silhouettes of two figures, lingering in the darkness of Nicole’s front yard. 


	21. twenty one

_My dearest Waverly,_

_Have you ever heard the story of Layla and Majnun? It’s a tragic love story, one that reminds me of us. My version, however, won’t end in tragedy. Not for us, anyway._

_Layla and Qays were lovers, well they were destined lovers, but the powers that be got in the way._

_Like that silly mistake you made when you found my second note. You were supposed to come to ME when you found the note in the library. I left it for you, knowing you’d come looking, the curious young mastermind that you are. I held a flower for you as I waited, but you saw right past me as you went to her._

_When Qays is betrayed he falls into artistic isolation, writing romantic poetry for Layla. That’s when the townspeople have him the name of “Majnun” meaning crazy or possessed. Layla was married off to a rich merchant by her father, a man with an auburn pigmentation named Ward._

_Layla eventually passed away before ever getting to unite with her soulmate, her broken heart ultimately bringing her to her demise. Majnun grieved sincerely, weeping day in and day out,  his corpse found near her grave._

_I’ve been writing our our version, but unfortunately, all stories must come to an end. Our happily ever after could have come sooner, but darling you chose wrong. You let the redheaded merchant sweep in, your confusion acting in the role of Layla’s father._

_You’re enticed by sin. The thrill of being different. I understand. That’s why I’m helping you Waverly. Whatever you think you feel for Nicole, none of its real. Nicole cannot give you what I can. She just wants to use you for your body, and you’re letting her. I can see it in the way she looks at you._

_Predatory, just like Champ._

_I’m hoping the next few weeks will help you realize it._

_In due time._

_I’m helping save you from her, just like I saved you from Champ. He didn’t deserve you, he never did. Not like I do._

_I thought he did my job for me when he ran down Nicole. Dumb bastard couldn’t even do that right. All it did was bring you two together. Somehow she confided in you rather than her girlfriend._

_Who’s to say she won’t tire of you the way she did of Shae?._

_Nicole can’t protect you my darling. She was so blinded by perverse sex she put your safety at risk. What kind of cop doesn’t lock their door? Careless, emotional, pathetic. Is that someone you really want to share your life with?_

_When I saw you that night, with her, I knew how it would end. She’s brainwashed you into thinking intimacy between you two is profound and beautiful, but the way you laid there exposed under the light sheet was anything but right. It felt wrong drawing a map between the freckles of your bare back, knowing full well the transgression that had just occurred. One day, when you’re mine, I’ll connect each dot on your body, building an intricate maze that’s mine to explore._

_I think about it everyday._

_I hope you know my message was for her that day. Not for you. I’d never hurt you or try and scare you. I wanted her to see that there are consequences for her actions. Not just leaving the door unlocked but her constant manipulation. She had to know who your heart will belong to. Who is always there, and always will be. She’ll put up a fight, I know she will, but she’ll know when to give up. She doesn’t think you’re worth it._

_I know you’re worth it darling._

_I’m rewriting our story._

_That’s why things had to change. I saw how she was tricking you into believing these notes I’ve been leaving you were dangerous. She tried to hurt me Waverly, and she told you it was to protect you. That night in the club, I was just trying to have a little fun was all. But Nicole was ready to harm me. I had no choice but to act in self defense. I can’t say I’m terribly upset with how it played out, it showed you how she can’t protect you. She had it coming truthfully._

_I’ll always protect you._

_Once you realize we’re meant to be together, you’ll know too how much better I am than her._

_I”m rewriting our story._

_Sincerely Yours,_

_M_

The letter was folded neatly and tucked away in M’s jacket pocket, protected from the crisp chill of the night air as he stood on the front lawn of Nicole’s property. The more time he spent here, the more he learned Nicole’s, and even part of Waverly’s routines. He despised the mornings he’d see Waverly emerge from the bedroom, disheveled hair indicating their unsavory choice in activity from the previous night. She’d move around the kitchen with ease, as if it was hers. A passion for cooking, he gathered. One that he knew he’d witness in his own kitchen.  

More often than not, on nights like tonight, he’d find them cooking or cleaning together. Nicole helplessly wandering as Waverly worked.

_Useless._

She pulled Waverly close, the heat of his rage threatening to ignite the paper in his pocket.  

_‘That smile isn’t real. I know the real Waverly’_

“I knew she was a homewrecker. I bet she would’ve come home with Nicole’s sorry ass even if I was still around. Slut.” Shae posed next to M, taking in his very limited features as he hid beneath a mask.

“It’s not her fault. It’s Nicole’s. Waverly’s just confused. That’s why we’re going to help her.”

The two watched in silence as the lovers spoke softly to each other. Nicole whispered something, a giggle erupting from Waverly. A sight that made M sick to his stomach. His fists clenched below him, his self control threatening to break.

_‘Why can’t you see you’re brainwashed. I know you’re better than that’_

“I want my money first.” Shae demanded far too loudly, turning her attention to the man next to her. M unclenched his fists to lead them behind a tree.

“You’ll get your money after the job is done. Not a minute sooner. If you won’t do it, I can sure as hell find someone else that can.” He snarled.

“Oh please, you need me. I’m the only one who knows how to get into her mind. No one, and I mean no one can do what you’ve asked but me.”

“I can always change my methods Shae. Believe you me, you're not my first choice. You’ll get your money once they’re done. Go ahead and leave if you’ve changed your mind.”

He watched her hesitation. With Nicole, she had always been in control. Nicole would leap between buildings if Shae had asked when they were together. _That’s just how weak she is._ “Fine. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? What the hell?” He chased after her, stopping before she could walk any further. “Get the fuck in there now.”

“Listen, you may have hired me but I’m doing this MY way.” She bit back. “If you want it done right, don’t fucking rush me. She’ll know something is up if I walk in tits-a-blazing. She will immediately shut down and kick me out. Besides, she’s not going to do anything while Waverly is there.” She calmed for a moment, speaking softly and far more _menacing._ “She needs to rescue me, she’s clearly got some sort of reverse Stockholm syndrome going on. She wants to feel like she’s needed. That’ll be my in.”

“How long will it take?”

“Give me a week. In one week, you’ll be able to sweep her off her feet.”

“And Nicole will get what she deserves.”

“Yeah sure whatever. Now if you’ll excuse me,” Shae moved from beneath the tree they hid behind, walking backwards down the street towards her car. “I have some preparing to do.”

Once she had driven away, he took his place back in the shadows, watching the empty kitchen. Nicole entered once again, leaning out of view only temporarily before popping back into frame holding two wine glasses.

_‘What I would give to smash those glasses over that ginger bitch head.’_

❋❋❋❋❋❋

After Wynonna’s departure, Nicole and Waverly decided to treat themselves to a romantic night in. It had been quite some time since they had a night to themselves without the presence of friends and family, and although they loved their social calendar, it was a breath of fresh air to have some time alone.

When Waverly Earp asks you to take a candlelit bath with her, you’d be off your rocker to say no.

Nicole climbed into the tub behind Waverly, two wine glasses occupying her palms as she semi-graciously lowered herself into the water. Sure enough water splashed onto the surface outside of the tub, but hey that’s what bath mats are for right?

Waverly pressed her back into Nicole as she took one of the glasses out of her hands. A contented sigh escaped Nicole’s nostrils, her arm finding purchase draped around the woman’s midsection. She mindlessly moved her fingers delicately across the skin she found before peppering the lightest of pecks on the locks before her.

“Mmm, that’s feel so nice baby. Gosh we needed this.” Waverly hummed, bringing the drink to her lips. “I’ve missed you. How is it I’ve seen you every day this week but this is the first time I feel like I’ve really _seen_ you.” Waverly turned more against Nicole, capturing her lips in a slow, relaxed kiss. Nicole squeezed her legs slightly, pulling Waverly tighter against her.

She felt herself slipping, falling, crashing harder than ever. It was terrifying, borderline suffocating how tight her chest felt. It felt like at any moment, the ticking time bomb would explode.

_But she had to wait - just a little while longer._

She had been in love with Waverly for at least well over a month, but had decided to wait to declare so until their 6 month anniversary.

It would eat away at her, especially in these types of moments. The ones where the world was quiet, and all Nicole could hear was the pounding of her heart when Waverly would look at her like she was the only thing that mattered.

Waverly pulled away slightly, just enough where Nicole could still taste the wine on Waverly’s lips. Not quite ready to lose the contact, Nicole closed the gap between them again, reaching a hand to cup her jaw.

When they finally separated, Waverly laid her head to rest on Nicole’s chest. “Thank you.” Waverly whispered.

“For what?”

With a sigh, Waverly continued.

“For how you treat Wynonna, bringing her into your life. Into your heart. I know you two didn’t start off in the best of terms…”

“You mean she doesn’t threaten everyone she meets for the first time?”

“Oh no she definitely does that,” Waverly chucked “They’re just usually empty threats. Only ever person she ever really meant it with was-” She trailed off, the pain evident in her voice. Waverly buried her head closer into Nicole’s chest, so much so that she was practically laying on her side.

Even in his custody, Champ still managed to have a hold on Waverly. Nicole would wake to the sounds of panicked whimpering most nights she’d stay over. Nothing was worse however than when fellow residents of Purgatory would feel so inclined to approach them on the subject. Countless times they’d find themselves be berated by questions in coffee shops and markets. Purgatory was too small for its own good.

_Was Champ possessive when you two were together?_

_How did you not know it was him?_

_How could you not know it was him?_

Nicole reached for Waverly’s glass, setting them both down outside of the tub.

“Hey,” Waverly tilted her head to meet Nicole’s gaze. “He can’t hurt you Waves. I’ll stop at nothing to make sure he doesn’t step a foot into our life.”

“Our life?” Waverly asked shyly. Her jaw quivered so slightly, tears welling in her eyes.

“Yes, our life, as long as you’ll have me.”

“I like the sound of that. I really like the sound of that.” A bright smile replaced the frown on Waverly’s face at Nicole’s promise. The tears that had gathered fell, but the sparkle in her eyes that remained was not one of sadness. She felt Waverly’s fingertips glide across her arm, moving gently to touch her jaw. “I want to see the world with you, Nicole.”

She felt her body warm at the sounds of Nicole’s inclusion in Waverly’s future, she could hardly feel the consistent dropping in the waters temperature.

“Did I ever tell you I have a fear of flying?”

“Uhh- no you didn’t.” Waverly laughed, but Nicole could feel her tense beneath her. “We don’t actually have to go anywhere it’s really just a figure of speech. We don’t ACTUALLY have to see the world, we obviously couldn’t it wouldn’t be possible, neither of us are probably not going to make enough, not that you couldn’t like you totally could but we can’t assume that we will it’s just I’d say improbable-“

“Wave, wait,” Nicole interrupted through her giggling, placing a kiss on the top of her head. “Let me explain, please?” With a crimson blush and nod against Nicole’s chest, Waverly urged her to continue. “I’ve always hated flying. I never ever wanted to fly if I didn’t have to. I’ve only really ever flown twice, and they were less than two hours, but my God I fucking hated it. I was already anxious to begin with it. There was insane turbulence, the flight attendants were rude, and my bag was lost both times. That was like the rotten cherry on top of a curdled sundae. I was a teenager when all that happened and since then I’ve sworn off flying.

“Last year for her birthday, Shae started planning a trip for us to Greece. I kept asking if we could just road trip somewhere instead because I couldn’t handle being in a plane for that long. I found this beautiful B&B on a lake. It was a small cabin but had all the amenities you could want - a stainless steel kitchen, a hot tub, a sauna, a beautiful village full of restaurants and shops - and it was only a six hour drive.”

“Damn, am I turning green cause that sounds fantastic. I bet it was amazing.”

“I wouldn’t know.” Waverly looked back up at her, a confused look on her face. With a shrug of her shoulders, Nicole continued. “It wasn’t Greece. She wouldn’t even look at the pictures I found of it. So she booked two tickets and went with her friend from work. She was gone for a week and just left me behind. Didn’t give a semblance of a damn that I wasn’t there with her.”

“Nicole… that’s awful. Honestly I’m trying to be understanding but, I don’t how you stayed with her for so long… everything I’ve heard from you, everything I’ve experienced with her has just been hell. I don’t understand how you could put yourself through that.”

A small sigh traveled through the tight space between them, the contempt evident in the breath.

“I don’t know babe, honestly. I think maybe… I just didn’t feel like I deserved any better. But I promise you there is a positive to all this.”

“Oh yeah? And what’s that?”

“I met you, and everything is a little less scary. Suddenly, flying doesn’t seem so impossible. So yes Waverly, I’d love to see the world with you. We can drive, we can fly, we can skydive for all I care. All I know is that if I can snag a woman like you, I could do anything.”

“Really?” Waverly asked in disbelief. There was an indescribable twinkle in her eye - as if she couldn’t believe someone would put her on such a pedestal. For Nicole, Waverly lived on that damn pedestal, she always had. She’d admit it unapologetically any day of the week.

She’d tell Waverly every day if she had to.

“Yes, really. Baby, do you realize how lucky I feel? I’m pretty sure my friends are ready to disown me with how much I’m constantly talking about you. I’m pretty sure anyone who didn’t know you would think I was making you up. In fact I’m almost positive the grocery store clerk I see every week thinks you’re not real.” She chuckled, Waverly matching the rhythm with her own laughter. “That’s how perfect you are to me. You are so damn flawless Waverly Earp, you’re not even real. So there. Put that in your perfect pipe and smoke it.”

“Nicole… baby…” Waverly couldn’t stop giggling as she snuggled closer into Nicole’s body. “I don’t know what to say to that.” She put quietly. She was adorably flustered, clearly self-conscious of her own vulnerability.  Unable to resist, Nicole squeezed the underneath of Waverly’s thighs, throwing her girlfriend into a fit of laughs. The lukewarm water splashed around them, emptying the tub with each thrash. Soon thereafter, half the water was on the bathroom floor, and the what was left was colder than cold. Waverly’s teeth began to chatter, her begs for mercy coming out as uneven as a cobblestone road.

Nicole drained the rest of the bathtub before wrapping a towel around a trembling, but smiling Waverly. She grabbed Waverly’s robe, an item that had not so subtly found its new permanent place in Nicole’s bathroom, and helped her girlfriend out of the tub. With a playful spank, she urged Waverly back into the bedroom as she dried herself off and cleaned up the overflow. She grabbed a spare towel from under the counter, dropping to her hands and knees to soak up the moisture.

“Nicooole!” Waverly sang out. “Don’t make me start without you!” She paused mid towel-mop, curious as to what Waverly’s implications were. They hadn’t exactly _planned_ on anything. They were planning a quiet, romanti-.

_Oh._

“Start what baby?” She responded innocently, returning to cleaning the floor. She felt a force strike the back of her head, the sultry “why don’t you come and find out” lingering in the air around her. Reaching behind, she felt the soft but damp silk of what was quickly realized was Waverly’s robe, draping over her shoulders. She craned her neck, probably far too quickly to not be considered dangerous, only catching a glimpse of bare skin walking back into the bedroom.

It must have been some sort of world record, how quickly Nicole rose to her feet. Usain Bolt had nothing on her. As she moved so fast she nearly slipped on the remaining water. She stopped abruptly before entering the bedroom, attempting to regain some sort of composure.

She couldn’t let Waverly have _all_ the power. Or more realistically, she couldn’t let Waverly _know_ she had all the power, because let’s be real, Waverly had all the power.

She held her towel tightly, the cotton of the fabric digging underneath her fingernails.  She calmly walked into the bedroom, finding Waverly gloriously nude on the bed, laying flat on her stomach, ankles crossed in the air, and a cookie cutter smile plastered on not so innocent body. You could snap a photo from the neck up, slap it atop of a dentists ad and no one would be none the wiser.

“Hi baby.” Waverly said softly. Nicole opted to say nothing, but to speak with her strut towards the bed. Waverly met height by lifting herself to her knees, her thighs creating a perfect triangle. They sat nose to nose, waiting for the other to make the first move.

Waverly ran her hands up NIcole’s side, the cotton towel saving her skin from breaking out in goosebumps and losing her cool completely. She never took her eyes off of Waverly. Even if she’d glance down for a single moment, she couldn’t keep her gaze away for long. She watched as her jaw clenched rhythmically, the movement synonymous with her heartbeat. She felt the guard around her slip as Waverly undid the loose knot around the towel. The towel fell with a thud, the water tickling Nicole’s feet.

Her lungs betrayed her, releasing the breath she tried desperately to keep in. Waverly caught the break in Nicole’s resolve, a delicious smirk blooming across her lips. Her body reacted before her brain could. Her hands gripped Waverly’s hips as Waverly continued to move her palms against Nicole’s newly exposed skin. She seemed antsy to explore, never staying in one place for too long. Her skin raised in the path that Waverly painted. _If only she had that damn towel still on._ She felt like she had taken shot after shot as a haze rushed over her, drunk on lust.

“Waverly…” she whispered. With every breath she felt brush her lips she felt her body feeling heavier and heavier, and was finding Waverly intoxicatingly irresistible. She finally succumbed to the pressure she felt in her core, moving her hands to cup Waverly’s face and bring their lips together. Waverly reacted instantly, not a single sense of hesitation between them. Their mouths moved hurriedly and desperately, neither one able to keep up with each other. They continuously fought for dominance, Waverly pulling their hips flush and Nicole pressing her tongue against her lover’s. Nicole could feel the warmth pooling between the two of them as Waverly pulled on her backside. She kept tugging until the two collapsed onto the bed.

Unfortunately Nicole’s landing lacked the gazelle like grace she might have been trying for.

Foreheads clunked, fingers bent ways they shouldn’t, causing Nicole to yelp and crash their foreheads again.

“Owww,” Waverly whined. They simultaneously rubbed their foreheads, groaning loudly. “How did we manage to do that?”

“I’m as elegant as drunk baby that’s how.” Nicole stated bashfully, embarrassed by her actions. She still remained on top, Waverly holding her tight with one arm as the other found the back of her head. She dipped her head into the crook of Waverly’s neck. “Are you okay?”

“Yes I’m fine. All my screws were loose up there to begin with.” Waverly joked, gesturing to her head.

“Amen to that.” Nicole retorted, earning a dramatized scoff from Waverly. She felt Wavelry deliver a light spank, before bringing her hands to Nicole’s sides, the most cruel threat of the century. She pulled her head back to find Waverly’s line of sight ready and waiting for her. That same playful smirk she saw only minutes before revealing her every thought, this time far more cunning. “Don’t. You. Dare.”

With a fluttering of her eyelashes, Waverly released the hounds. She squeezed Nicole’s sides, causing her to squirm and howl. It only egged Waverly on more. She continued to tickle her despite the awkward positioning, until Nicole finally rolled off of Waverly. She sighed in relief as the tension from her sides faded, but the relief was replaced with a whole new type of panic as she underestimated the distance of the edge of the bed.

_‘Who the hell gave me a badge?’_

You can’t fall from grace if you never had it to begin with, a quote she’d have written on the ceiling she was currently staring at.

“What am I going to do with you my beautiful baby dear?” Waverly smiled, looking over the edge of the bed. Nicole laid on her back on the floor, deciding she was the safest there.

“Oh just continue to _fawn_ over me like you always do.”

Waverly’s jaw dropped, but a taste of grin poked through. “Oh my God, nope, no, absolutely not. Goodbye.” Waverly swung her legs off the side, stepping over Nicole towards the door. “I’m leaving. I’m walking my naked ass home Nicole Haught. That was the worst! The whole night is rui-ah! Nicole!” She had followed close behind and wrapped her arms around Waverly, carrying her back to the bed. She absolutely loved the sound of Waverly’s unrestricted belly laughter. It was like drug she couldn’t get enough of, and she had no intentions on checking into rehab.

She dropped Waverly onto the bed, recreating their earlier position. When Waverly brought her hands to Nicole’s sides again, she quickly grabbed her wrists and pinned them above against her head.

“Do I need to tie up your hands?” Nicole asked suggestively. A tinge of allure appear in Waverly’s face, a quick twitch of the eyebrow sending heat straight to her core. She dropped her face to her girlfriends neck, and began mapping the soft skin with her lips, hands never leaving her wrists. She could feel Waverly getting impatient beneath her, her breasts rising with every deep breath. As she’d pucker her lips against the creamy nape, she’d feel the pressure of the woman’s hips rising to meet her own.

She began pushing down when she’d feel her lift again, her heart rate spiking every time they’d meet. Their breathing synchronized as heavy pants as they both moved faster and faster. Every so often she’d stop, keep her hips away just to hear the whine that would rip out her own groan. Unable to hold back anymore, she tore her lips away from the creamy skin beneath her and moved to reconnect with the luscious lips in front of her.

She dropped her grip from her wrists and brought them down to each side of Waverly’s face. Waverly’s hands dropped to her ass, kneading and squeezing to pull her hips closer. She groaned with she felt her bottom lip between perfect teeth, but Waverly’s tongue was quick to follow, soothing the nip.

Suddenly, it wasn’t enough.

She pulled back quickly before sliding off the bed to her knees. Waverly watched with wide eyes as she hooked her arms underneath her knees and pulled towards the edge of the bed. Her rear hung halfway off, the bed but before she could adjust Nicole’s lips were on her clit, sucking vigorously as if she was on a mission. There was no teasing, no build up to the base drop - she dove in like Waverly was her last meal. Waverly shot up instantly, her fingers finding their way into red locks. Nicole brought her own hand down between her legs, the vision of Waverly curled up in pleasure cause her own core to pound.

It was only embarrassingly short and _boy what a climax it was_. Her hips rocked against Nicole’s mouth, and her grip on her head only tightened as she came closer to her release. It only encouraged Nicole to pull her nearer, virtually no space between them. With a final jolt, her release overpowered them both. Waverly sat panting as she watched Nicole chase her own climax.

“ _Fuck baby_ ,” she gasped. As much as she enjoyed the show, she couldn’t stand to be away any longer. She sunk to the floor in front of Nicole, moving her hand out of the way to feel the silky heat herself. “God baby you’re so wet,” She whispered. As she kissed Nicole, she could still taste the remains of her own orgasm. She pulled away, allowing their foreheads to rest together as she felt Nicole move closer to the edge. “Fuck I fucking love feeling you come for me… God you’re so sexy... “

“ _Ohh - Waverly,_ ”

“Come baby, come for me love.”

Nicole crashed around Waverly’s fingers, her body screaming as she writhed, fingers digging into Waverly’s shoulders. Her breathing began to steady and the digits spreading her slowed their pace. She felt light kisses scattered along her neck as they were both brought back to reality. They sat dazed, neither mustering the strength to move off of the floor. Waverly’s fingers left her warmth, leaving her open and practically dripping.

“God Waves,” she panted, her legs beginning to shake. “I think my legs have become jello. I don’t think I can stand.” Nicole laughed as eased her grip on Waverly’s shoulders. The lips she felt against her neck hadn’t left quite yet, but were moving lazily against her skin. She pushed against Waverly’s shoulders until they were face to face again, unable to keep her lips from Waverly’s for too long. She kissed her sweetly as she took her cheeks in her hands. She rubbed the tips of her thumbs against the skin she found there, and she could feel the lips connected to own pulling up into a smile.

Waverly groaned against her as she started to pull away, but Nicole chased her quickly, not quite ready to feel the loss. Waverly giggled against her lips again, before breaking the contact entirely. Before Nicole could protest, Waverly leapt to her feet and jumped into the bed, wrapping the entire comforter around her.

“Get in here bonus blanket, I need you to warm me up.”

“Oh I’m sorry did I not already do that?”

“No you did, I just need more.” She pulled the blanket up to her neck, her chin barely poking through. How could she pass up this opportunity? She grabbed her phone off her nightstand, snapping a couple photos of her girlfriend. “Nicole! Stop!” She giggled, pulling the blanket over her head completely.

“What? Come on baby, you’re so cute right now. I’m thinking this will be my next Christmas card. I think I got a nipple.” She glanced up to find the lump under the blanket unmoving, Waverly’s face still covered. How could she pass up THIS opportunity? “Uh oh.”

“What, uh oh?” She heard muffled from underneath the fabric.

“Um well I thought I was sending you this picture but I selected Wendy instead of Waverly.”

A gust of air hit Nicole in the face as the blanket flew across the bed.

“What?! Nicole! Are you serious? You sent a picture of my tit to someone named Wendy?!”

“Wave I’m sure it’s fine, I doubt Mason’s grandmother doesn’t even know how to look at texts.”

“Mason’s GRANDMOTHER? Nicole! What the hell! Let me see!” She jumped out of the bed onto the cold hardwood, yanking the phone out of her grasp. Nicole’s lips pressed together firmly, waiting for Waverly to make the discovery. After a few moments of looking, she felt Waverly press the phone into her chest with some hefty force before she crawled back into the bed. As she was about to break out in laughter, she saw the body under the blanket begin to shake.

_Shit._

“Aww, Wave. I’m sorry. I thought it would be funny!” When Waverly didn’t turn to face her, she knelt down next to the bed. “Waverly, please. Come on I’m sorry baby. I thought it would be a funny joke.” She only began to shake harder, and Nicole’s heart sunk to her stomach. She crawled into bed behind Waverly, wrapping her arm around her girlfriend’s waist. She peered over Waverly’s shoulder, hoping and praying the tears would be limited.

Needless to say when she found not only a very clearly dry set of eyes accompanied by a tight lipped smile. That tight lipped smile that broke once she knew she had been caught. “Huh huh oh, I should’ve known you would play dirty Earp.” She rolled onto her back, tucking an arm beneath her head. Waverly was quick to follow, placing her head on Nicole’s shoulder, assuming the position they had become all too familiar with.

“Oh come on honey, if you can dish it you can take it.” Waverly ran her index finger along Nicole’s chest, a habit she had formed when they would end up here. She traced along the constellation of freckles on her chest. something relaxing for the both of them.

She couldn’t have drifted for more than a few minutes but when she opened her eyes, the bedroom was doused in sunlight, and Waverly’s arm was wrapped around her middle.

She loved that Waverly loved to spoon her. Sometimes even Nicole liked to feel protected. She grabbed the hand that splayed against her torso, bringing it up to her mouth. She placed light kisses against the knuckles. “Waves, baby. Time to get up.”

“Hmmm, no.” Waverly inched herself closer, her voice laced with sleep “I’m never leaving this bed again.”

“Alright, I guess I’ll have to get breakfast by myself.” She tried to sit up, but Waverly’s not so deceptively strong arms kept her pinned to the mattress.

“Noooo, you need to keep me warm. I’m freezing still.”

“How can you possibly be freezing, it’s like a fucking sauna in here. I’m actually sweating right now.” She attempted to remove the clutch Waverly had on her, but she always managed to retain her grip. “Baby come on, I’m hot and starving. Let’s go make some breakfast. I’ll even make those biscuits you love so much.”

With a reluctant sigh, Waverly released her grasp, allowing Nicole to roll out of bed. Nicole retrieved their robes, wrapping herself in her own as she tossed Waverly’s hers. She began moving towards the door, but stopped when she turned to find Waverly staring back at her with a devilish smile. “What?” she questioned curiously.

Waverly responded with pout of a lip. Nicole couldn’t contain her laughter, knowing full well what was about to come next. “What baby?”

“It’s cold.”

“What’s cold?”

“The floor.”

Nicole rolled her eyes, but couldn’t stop her smile - too damn adorable for words. That pout could be considered a lethal weapon. She sauntered back to the bed and turned her back. “Come on spider monkey, the train is leaving the station.”

Waverly wasted no time wrapping her legs around Nicole’s waist and arms around her neck. Without warning, Nicole took off in a sprint, running through the hallway towards the kitchen. Waverly laughed and held on tightly. She slowed to a stop once they reached the kitchen, backing towards the counter, allowing Waverly to slide to her favorite spot.

Waverly swayed to music she had queued up, Nicole joining every so often when she’d get the chance.

“ _Stick to the promise man you made me, stick to the promise man that you made me,”_ Waverly sang along with Nina Simone, the catalyst to her first love, music. “ _Be my husband man I’ll be your wife, be my husband man I’ll be your wife.”_

_“Be my wife and I’ll be your wife, be my wife and I’ll be your wife.”_ NIcole’s voice took over Nina’s but Waverly wasn’t about to complain, especially with her rewrite. Somehow, she liked it more than the original.  Leaving some veggies on the stove, she moved between Waverly’s legs as she continued to sing. “ _Oh baby, love me good oh baby now love me good_.” Waverly grinned and took Nicole’s face between her palms, and pressed her lips to Nicole’s. Nicole’s hands found Waverly’s hips, rubbing the fabric above her hips.

Unless this was a strange remix they had never heard, the sound of the doorbell ringing was definitely not part of the song. Nicole pulled away with grumble, one that was quickly matched by Waverly. “I swear we could stow away in a bunker in the middle of the rainforest and someone would manage to find us.”

“Were you expecting anyone?”

“No, but it’s probably Mrs. O’Neil. She bakes a lot and always brings me some of whatever she’s made.”

“Oh really? And this is the first I’m hearing of these baked goods?”

“Yeah well I’ve actually been doing you a favor because it’s been stuff you don’t like.”

“Oh, I see. So what are these pastries that I would hate?”

“Well you know, um she definitely didn’t give me any snickerdoodle cookies so don’t worry about that.”

“Nicole Rayleigh Haught, you had snickerdoodles and you didn’t share?!” The doorbell rang again, effectively saving Nicole. “Whatever she’s brought you, your paying a hefty girlfriend tax.”

“Fair enough.” She squeezed Waverly’s thighs, dropped a quick kiss to her lips and headed for the door, ready to hide half of whatever Mrs. O’Neil was bringing her.

You can’t get taxed on what you get under the table, right?

She swung the door open, expecting to see a 75 year old woman with a foil wrapped plate like she did almost every other Saturday.

What she didn’t expect was her egocentric ex-girlfriend standing on her porch with tears in her eyes.


	22. twenty-two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, we're back.

Nicole stood wide eyed and shocked as Shae stared back at her. This… woman. This awful woman, whom she’d never hoped to hear from again was standing on her porch as her current wonderful girlfriend, whom she met while dating the not-so-great one, was half naked in her kitchen. The same kitchen, she and Shae had reluctantly shared many breakfasts together. Shae being her selfish, sharp ex-girlfriend  _ who she never thought she’d have to see again _ .

All her traumatic memories came flooding back. The nights alone because Shae chose to spend them with her friends. The cold dinners that became Nicole’s lunch for a week. The kinks in her neck after spending a night sleeping on the couch after the two shouted over their conflicting opinions - Shae choosing those moments to throw personal hits that would affect Nicole’s self esteem. It was a time in her life where she felt lower than low; a time where she thought two notches below mediocre was where she belonged. 

No, not belonged -  _ deserved. _

It only made her appreciate Waverly more. Waverly brought her up to where she actually deserved to be. 

“Shae what the hell are you doing here?” She asked breathlessly, shaking her head in disbelief. The longer she stood, the dizzier she became. Out of the list of everything Nicole feared, Shae was always at the top, even when they were together. 

Nicole Haught’s top three fears. Number three, tuberlance. Number two, girlfriend Shae. Number one,  _ ex-girlfriend Shae. _

“Oh, Nicole.” She sobbed. Before Nicole could react, Shae threw her arms around her, violently sobbing into her neck. The force pushed them backwards farther into the house. Nicole kept her arms positioned awkwardly in the air, not wanting to show this woman any semblance of affection, especially with Waverly in the other room. 

Shae hadn’t let up in the slightest as she continued to bawl into Nicole’s neck, and she became all too aware of her current wardrobe. She could feel the cold material of Shae’s necklace digging into the bare skin of her chest, clearly from the sheer force of Shae’s entrance. Though this woman had seen Nicole naked plenty of times… she felt incredibly exposed in front of someone who was practically a stranger. 

 Out of the corner of her eye she caught movement coming from the kitchen. She glanced over with a panicked look when Waverly found the two of them. She tried with every ounce of control to convey her genuine confusion and concern. Her girlfriend stopped dead in her tracks and tilted her head to side. 

“Shae?” Waverly mouthed, mirroring Nicole’s panicked look. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” She mouthed back. She pat the woman on her back, trying to pry herself away. As much as it pained her to see this woman again, there was a small part of her that was… a bit overjoyed to feel like she had the upper hand in the relationship between them. “Shae,” she asked slowly, subtly trying to put more distance between them “What are you doing here? What is going on?” Shae wiped her eyes, finally spotting Waverly as she opened her mouth to speak. 

“Oh. I didn't expect you to be here quite honestly.” She sniffed, looking awkwardly to Nicole. “You two are together now?” They both nodded timidly, afraid of the reaction it would earn. “How long have you two been dating?”

“Shae can you please just tell me why you’re here?” The frustration was evident in Nicole’s tone. Her patience for Shae’s antics had evaporated long before she had returned. A lull of uncomfortable silence crept over, no one daring to speak. 

“Nicole I’d really prefer if you and I spoke in private.” Shae stated quietly, avoiding Waverly’s line of sight. 

“Anything you say to me you can say in front of Waverly.” She returned sternly, standing firmly in her place.  Shae hesitated, not quite knowing what to say. She glanced back over to Waverly with pleading eyes, a manipulative look Nicole was all too used too. Poor Waverly never stood a chance. 

“Nicole it’s okay. If Shae wants to speak with you privately I can respect that.” She sauntered over to the two women and turned to face Nicole. 

Waverly wasn’t nearly as naive as Shae thought. 

She laced her fingers through Nicole’s hair, guiding her face down to meet her own, and planted a hard kiss against her lips. Nicole’s eyes drifted shut, temporarily forgetting the existence of a certain brunette doctor; at least until said doctor cleared her throat next to them. “I’ll just be in our bedroom.” Waverly whispered softly before reconnecting their lips briefly. “Holler if you need anything.” With a pithy glance back at Shae, Waverly turned on her heel and sauntered back to the bedroom and not so quietly shut the door. 

The tears started in Shae’s eyes again, yet Nicole’s level of sympathy hadn’t changed. She usually prided herself on her ability to sympathize, but Shae had already shattered any hope of that. 

“You two seem really happy,” Shae tried, she seemed to honestly try, a few years too late unfortunately. “You know I had a feeling about her when I saw her in your room after your accident. Out of all the friends I met of yours, she was the one that really stood out to me. I could tell she was special to you. I saw it when you snapped at me.”

“You mean the day you left me? Or did you forget that part already? Nothing was going on between us then.”

“Maybe not physically.”

She felt Shae’s words bite through her stern demeanor, starting to leave rage in its.

“Is this what you came back for? To sit there and accuse me of cheating? Throw yourself at me and tell me what you THINK I did? Are you fucking kidding me, Shae?”

“Nicole, no that’s not why I’m here,” She moved closer, but Nicole backed up to maintain every inch of distance between them. Shae took a deep shaky breath, releasing it quickly before explaining. “Things are terrible Nicole.” The tears that had gathered started falling, and as much as she wanted to remain uninterested, there was the slightest twinge in her gut seeing someone in so much pain. “My job is awful. The chief of medicine is a homophobic misogynistic prick that won’t give me a real chance, my coworkers are selfish and irresponsible, my landlord is shady, and my dating life is non-existent. My life is terrible Nicole and I can’t take it anymore!” She stomped her foot like a child throwing a tantrum, a habit she had displayed whenever she’d get emotional. 

“So why are you here?” Nicole questioned calmly - many years of bickering taught her how to deal with Shae effectively. “Why come back? You’re the one who left for some better life without me. It’s not my fault it didn’t work out for you.”

“I’m not here to beg for your forgiveness or your trust…” Shae took another step forward, but when Nicole moved backward she felt her backside hit the couch. “I’m just asking for a little compassion. I want to move back - for good.”

Nicole felt her eyes widen at that idea of Shae being back in town. At this point she’d rather see Champ walk free than run into Shae at the gas station. Maybe she could convince Waverly to run away with her to Turks and Caicos, as far away from these two as they could be. Just the two of them on a beach, pretending the apocalypse wasn’t happening within a 15 mile radius of Nicole’s house. 

“I came here to ask for my old job back and find somewhere to live. I promise I’m not here to throw a wrench in your life. I just need a place to stay while I figure out how to get back here permanently.”

“What about everything there? Your job? Your apartment?”

“I have enough saved to get out of my lease, and I’ll just quit once I have an offer here.”

“And if you can’t get an offer here? Then what? I can’t imagine you’re planning on staying for more than a couple days. Are you going to ambush us next weekend?” Nicole’s biting words clearly cut deep when she saw Shae’s reaction. Her face fell and she definitely caught the quivering chin. Guilt suddenly washed over her. She prided herself on her compassion… it’s part of the reason she became a police officer in the first place.

She’s only human. She ran her hands over her face then through her hair. “Shae I’m sorry… How long do you need to stay here?”

The light came back to Shae’s face, a small smile making its way through. 

“Just a couple of days, a week tops. I’ve only got about a week of vacation I can use anyways,” she joked flatly. Humor was never her strong suit. 

“I guess you’ll finally know what it’s like to sleep on this God forsaken couch. Be forwarned Mason slept naked here a while back. I won’t be held responsible for whatever he left behind.” She suggested, hoping to lighten the mood. She’d do anything to keep the viper tamed. When Shae responded with a hearty laugh, her attitude brightened just a little bit more. The awkward silence returned, and Nicole used that to her advantage. “I should probably go… uh… see Wave. Do you need help bringing things in? I don’t really know how much you brought.”

“Oh no I’m good, just a bag in my car…” The longer they stood there, the longer they wondered what the hell to say to each other, the more uncomfortable it became. It was like she hadn’t spent years of her life with this woman. “Yeah I’ll just-” she motioned towards the front door, pausing mid turn to look back at Nicole. 

The front door closed behind Shae. WIth the moment of silence, Nicole had the chance to reflect on the choice she just made. 

Would she regret this? Knowing Shae, probably. 

She glanced down the hallway. Waverly, no matter how quick she thought she was, was not fast enough for Nicole not to see the crack in the door suddenly disappear. 

Could she really blame her for eavesdropping?

She walked down the hallway to the door, unsure of how much Waverly had heard. She knocked lightly on the door. 

“Baby? Can I come in?” She was met with silence on the other side. 

_ Shit _ . Waverly’s pissed. 

She opened the door and peered inside, finding Waverly criss cross on the bed staring at her hands in her lap. She struggled to find the words to say. ‘Sorry I’m letting my ex-girlfriend stay with me for a week’ didn’t seem like enough. Hell at this point ‘I literally worship the ground you walk on I’d be honored to be kicked in the face by you’ didn’t seem like enough either. 

“I probably shouldn’t have eavesdropped.” Nicole stopped in her tracks when Waverly spoke up. Waverly snuck a glance at Nicole before returning her gaze back to her intertwined fingers. 

“Wave, listen I know you’re probably pissed.”

“I’m not mad at you, Nicole.”

“You’re not?”

“No! Of course not,” she half laughed, pain still evident in her delivery. “How can I be mad at you for having such a big heart? It’s one of the main reasons I…” she trailed off as she met Nicole’s line of sight. “I”m just trying to make myself okay with the idea of your gorgeous ex staying with you for a week.”

“Baby do you trust me?” Nicole found her place behind Waverly. Even though the younger girl was obviously frustrated, there was no hesitation to lay back against Nicole’s chest. It had quickly become Nicole’s favorite sitting position. Even if Waverly doesn’t need to be protected, Nicole couldn’t help the desire to shield her from the evils in this world - one cuddle session at a time. 

“Of course I do!” Waverly quickly defended, squeezing Nicole’s arms tighter around her. NIcole absentmindedly slid her hands under the fabric of Waverly’s robe, scratching the skin lightly she found there. She felt Waverly relax further into her chest. “Of course I do,” she repeated, a little softer this time. “It’s not you I’m worried about. I just… don’t really trust her. She just shows up here out of the blue - no warning call or text, just shows up on your doorstep looking for her old life back! The life that SHE walked out on!”

Nicole felt her girlfriend tensing with every word, her tone raising in decibel as well as vexation as she continued to rant about Shae’s appearance. With every word, Nicole held on tighter and tighter, occasionally dropping a light kiss to her shoulder. “I mean are there no motels around here? She’s a doctor, she can afford a couple nights at the Holiday inn! Is she so delusional she thought you’d just be waiting around for her?”

“I don’t know baby. I really don’t know… I just couldn’t say no. I guess part of me feels guilty.”

“What could you possibly feel guilty about?”

“Honestly, it’s so petty but part of me was like kinda glad things didn’t work out for her. Not so that she’d come back, but just to say ‘fuck you that’s what you get’. And I felt guilty about feeling that way.”

Waverly sighed, Nicole’s calming aura bringing her back down. She rested her head against Nicole’s shoulder, angling her face to look at her. “It’s only a few days,” She mapped the skin on her temple with her lips delicately. “I promise you sweetheart, in a couple days she’ll be back to who knows where and out of our life. If she comes back, she comes back with her own life separate from us. Believe me when I say I have no intentions of rekindling any sort of friendship or anything with her. She’s here for the week, and then she’s gone. Besides she only using my house as a place to stay. It’s just you and me babe - she’ll just be the roommate we never see but suddenly the milk is gone okay?” 

Waverly ducked her head, clearly fighting a smile. Nicole took a gentle hold on Waverly’s chin, guiding her face closer to her own. “It’s me and you baby, you’re the peanut butter to my sweet and sour soup.” Waverly smiled bright, no longer fighting the giggle fit emerging from within her. She felt Waverly’s finger tangle in her messy bed-head before the hand pulled her down to connect their lips. Nicole kissed her slowly and she felt Waverly’s tongue glide across her upper lip. She responded by sucking lightly on the woman’s bottom lip, knowing full well they weren’t able to move any further. When Waverly made the attempt to move things along, Nicole slowed their roll, pulling away just the slightest bit. She could still feel Waverly’s breath tickling her lips. A knock at the door pulled them out of their trance. 

“Nicky I was thinking I could make dinner for you and Waverly tonight. As a thank you?” Her voice was muffled through the door, but even if she spoke directly into a pillow Waverly wasn’t going to miss the horrific nickname Shae had conjured early on in their relationship. It wasn’t a name she dreaded burying when their relationship died.

The two shared the same look - puckered lips perched to their noses, neither thrilled with the idea of spending more time than absolutely necessary with this unexpected houseguest. “I’m not much of a cook but I’d really like to do this for you guys. Really show my appreciation.” Her voice trailed off and Nicole swore she could hear Shae getting choked up on the other side. 

Whether it was sympathy or pity, something drove her to agree. 

“Sure Shae, that sounds great. We’d really appreciate it.” She tried as sincerely as she could, but even she could hear her agreement sounded as authentic as Dolly Parton’s cup size. 

“I guess we know what we’re doing for dinner now.” Waverly added quietly. “Still wanna go to the store?”

“Anything to get out of this house right now. I don’t want to spend more any more time with Shae that I absolutely have to.”

“Me neither baby, let’s get out of here.”

❋❋❋❋❋❋

“ _ Me neither baby,”  _ Nicole mocked in her head. She pushed an overcooked green bean around her plate. The char from the oven painting an obscure picture next to her uneaten potatoes. Maybe it was a butterfly? Or a maybe it was buffalo playing a ukelele. Either way, the picture below her was distraction enough from the current hell she was experiencing. 

Shae and Waverly were talking - no no, not just talking,  _ bonding.  _ Honest to God, lovey dovey best friends having a sleepover the night before the big soccer game of their middle school team. Break out the soda pop and Seventeen magazines type of night. Nicole was suddenly transported back to the last slumber party she’d every been to. Her last sleepover, but her first heartbreak.

Morgan Scott had  _ finally  _ invited her to a slumber party the last day of school. She had one every year since 3rd grade, and only the seven luckiest of girls would be invited. At the start of her 7th grade year, she had heard stories of Morgan’s best friend Jamie, Morgan’s childhood friend that was a recent transfer, but who had apparently been to every slumber party since the start. 

The first time she saw Jamie, well let’s just say her obsession with the pink Power Ranger made a little more sense. 

Nicole made the choice that anything she could do to get invited to Morgan’s party, she would do in a heartbeat if that meant she got to spend a night with Jamie. The amount of fruit snacks she gave away may have caused her dentist to file for bankruptcy. All the while, she was still far too afraid to approach Jamie in the hallways. They only had one class together, and the only conversation they ever had was quick comments when were assigned as partners. Nicole stumbled over her words, transposing letters, stammering; you can think if it, she did it. The giggles earned seemed to make it all worth. They were like tiny bubbles of cotton candy, the sweetness was off the charts. 

She didn’t know how she’d handle having an actual conversation, but that was future Nicole’s problem. So when she finally received the invitation, the entire day was spent researching. 

“How to talk to girls”

“How to know a girl likes you”

“How to kiss.”

What a mistake that one was. 

“Am I gay”

Needless to say the moment she came out to her mother years later, she was embarrassed to learn her search history had been found that very same day. Her mother however wasn’t going to steal Nicole’s thunder, a trait she forever cherished. She would be ready when she was ready. 

After hours of extensive analysis, she finally had a gameplan. Ask Jamie a list of prepared questions to keep her talking and keep all the attention off herself to insure no “foot in mouth” type of scenario. The more listening, the better. If all went according to plan she’d pull Jamie aside and ask if she could take her to a movie sometime. 

It was simple enough - keep it simple, stupid. 

She took her rightful place in the circle of students she had only spoken to a handful of times, immediately wishing her best friend Troy was with her. She felt out of place in an instant. 

“Isn’t Adam the hottest?” Morgan asked the group. Nicole scanned the group, each girl nodding and agreeing in a split second. “I want him to be my first.” She finally saw her opportunity to make herself known seeing as she hadn’t said more than a hello as she sat down. 

“First kiss?” Nicole asked, trying to avoid isolation. 

Morgan’s lips formed a tight smile, but when she thought she’d receive a head nod, she was surprised to hear the group break out into laughter. She felt heat rush to her face. Every instinct told her to run for the hills. She didn’t belong here. 

“Oh Nancy, have you not had your first kiss yet?” Morgan asked.

She glanced around the room, finding the rest of the girls snickering, sharing not-so-discreet comments she wasn’t not meant to hear. All except Jamie. Jamie was staring back at her with an apologetic smile. 

Somehow, someway Jamie seem to know. 

“Of course I’ve had my first kiss.” She blurted out defensively. The words must have left on their own, because as far as Nicole was concerned that sentence structure had barely entered her mind three seconds after she spoke it.  It was the lie of all lies in the life of a middle schooler. 

“Oh yeah? Who with?” She was being challenged, her invitation to the party making a little more sense with each snide comment. She was the joke, the jester of the party. She was the one all the girls could pick on to satiate their need to feel their version of empowered.

To this very day Nicole stands by the notion there is no one crueler than a teenage girl. 

“They don’t go to our school.” Nicole responded shyly. 

“Interesting how you’re not saying ‘he’. Something to hide dear?” 

She felt the blood leave her face, her heart pumping in overtime and the rest of her body moving into fight or flight. 

Her body chose flight.

She stood in an instant and gathered her items. She expected laughs - oohs, ahhs, or quite frankly more under the breath digs that would leave her wondering if she was just hearing things. The girls just stared. They watched in awe, like they were front row and center to a one woman experimental art show about the reproductive system of grasshoppers. 

She was a few steps down the porch when she heard her name being called. 

“Jamie?” Her eyes must have been deceiving her,  the pooling tears causing some sort of mirage. 

“Are you okay?” Nicole couldn’t find the will to respond, nor the words. “I’m sorry about Morgan. I really don’t like when she gets that way.”

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault.” Nicole managed after a few beat. “I should have expected it I guess.”

“No, no you should never have to expect to get hurt. That’s really sad if you feel that way.” 

She felt some sort of puppetmaster pull her strings, her shoulders bouncing quickly to her ears. “I don’t want you to leave.”

For the second time that night, her heart began to race. Why should she trust this girl she barely knows? What if Morgan sent her out here to bring her back in just to be continuously ridiculed till sunrise. 

“Why not? It’s not like you know me.”

“You seem… sweet.” Nicole’s poor cardiovascular system could hardly keep up with itself, her emotions running as hot as her cheeks at this point. “To be honest with you” Jamie moved towards her, stopping on the step right above where Nicole stood. Their height differences were eliminated, and Nicole could spot the little features she’d never noticed before. A small mole on the corner of her mouth, the slightest scar on her temple, the slight change in the smallest section of her iris. “I was really looking forward to getting to know you better.”

“Why me?” It was barely a whisper. Her eyes never left Jamie’s, so she didn’t see it coming when she felt a finger wrap around one of her own. 

“Cause I have a feeling you’re like me.” 

Nicole dumbly nodded, feeling like she was under some sort of trance. She felt herself lean her head forward, smiling briefly as Jamie leaned forward too. “I knew it.” The breath tickled her lips, the warmth of the other girls breath keeping her body warm in the freezing chill of the night. 

But suddenly it was gone. 

“Told you guys she’s a lesbo!” Nicole felt sick as she saw the other girls perched on the windowsill, gawking at the newfound discovery. She stood wide eyed, contemplating how in the hell she had just been thrown out of the closet in the blink of an eye. The last thing she remembered that night was a high five between Morgan and Jamie. 

She wasn’t sure how long it took, but as she stormed away she set her sights on just walking home. Her mother just about killed her when she walked through the door, but she couldn’t stand to wait there a moment longer. There was no way in hell she’d wait for her mom to pick her up. Sure she was pissed, but when she saw the tears streaming down Nicole’s cheeks she knew best to leave reprimanding for another day. 

The isolation was chilling, and she told herself she’d never subject herself to another sleepover again. 

“I can’t believe you’ve seen Amos Lee live, I’d kill to see him in concert.” Waverly admitted. As soon as Shae’s phone had rang, “Supply and Demand” cutting through the awkward silence that was more potent thant Shae’s cooking. “I swear the second he’s even remotely close to Purgatory I’m spending an obscene amount of money I don’t have to go see him.” 

“Oh you absolutely should. Nicole here is the one who bought me tickets. We were supposed to go together but poor Nicky couldn’t face the plane.” Shae clasped her hand over her mouth dramatically. “You did tell her about that right Nicky?” She turned back to Waverly. “Poor thing can’t stand flying.”

No matter how sweet she appeared, no matter how “new year, new me” she lead on, the real Shae would poke it’s head in. ‘How’s security guard life’, ‘No I don’t think you need dessert’, ‘At least you’re not in real danger’, ‘You did tell her about that right Nicky?’.  By Waverly’s deep breath, she could smell the bullshit too. The bonding spell was broken.

“Shae thanks so much for making us dinner. Nicole and I will take care of the dishes.”

“No! Please let me take care of it all. It’s the least I can do for letting me stay with you guys.”

“Oh well I don’t actually live here, I’m still on campus, technically. but I spend more days at Nicole’s and my sisters more than my actual dorm room. I used to be an RA but I had to change dorms and they already had one so I like barely live there.”

“Oh wow, Nicky and I were already living together by this time.” The awkward silence dawned over them again. Yes, technically they were living together at this point on their relationship. Had Nicole thought about asking Waverly to move in with her? Almost every single day. As much as she wanted to take that next step, she wanted Waverly to focus as much as she could on her studies. 

She couldn’t guarantee they wouldn’t spend a copious amount of time blowing off responsibilities just to spend time together. Neither of them would lead productive days, and Waverly had school to focus on. Come summer break however, all bets were off. 

“Well we saw how well that worked out, didn’t we Shae?” Nicole finally chimed in. She saw Waverly shift uncomfortably, but she couldn’t stand the thought of Shae getting away with what she was saying. 

“Come on Nicole, I was just joking around.” Shae scoffed. She quietly retrieved the plates and turned her back to the two, busying herself with scrubbing the dishes. 

“I’ll just be in the bedroom.” Waverly excused herself, seeming to read Nicole’s mind. Nicole knew she had to make some sort of amends. If she wanted the next week to move as quickly and painlessly as possible, she’d have to keep Shae at bay. Waverly stood, but leaned down as she cupped her cheek. She placed a long kiss on Nicole’s cheek, an act that always left Nicole feeling as calm as the summer sea. Her eyes fluttered closed at the sensation, her boiling blood cooling through the comfort of Waverly’s affection. “I’m just in the other room if you need me.” She whispered, so low Shae couldn’t hear over the running water. 

Nicole waited until she heard the door close. 

“Shae.” She beckoned softly. She wouldn’t stand, she’d keep her distant. When she received no response in returned, she called out again. “Shae, please look at me.” The water was shut off abruptly and Nicole heard a sigh replace the active stream. Shae finally turned to face her, the mask she wore reminded her of her days as a teenager when her mother would lecture her - an eye roll always at the ready, a scoff cocked and ready to go. “You can’t do this. You cannot come in here and criticize my life. I’m not going to just sit here and let you walk over me again. I have a really really good thing with Waverly, and I don’t want anything messing that up.” 

After her explosion that morning, Nicole made the conscious effort to maintain her calm composure, not matter how badly she wanted to just kick Shae out and be done with it all. “Don’t try and make Waverly feel bad for our relationship. One more backhanded comment and you’re done. Are we clear?”

“Nicole please stop being so dramatic. I’m just surprised is all.”

“Where Waverly and I stand is none of your business.” She didn’t mean to raise her voice, but with Shae she seemed to always be on the defensive, especially when it came to Waverly. “I’m just asking that you please respect my relationship, especially Waverly. She’s been nothing short of astonishing, and if I ever meant anything to you, you’d let us be.”

She saw a flash of something… unrecognizable. A glimpse of an emotion she’d never seen on Shae’s face before, but it only lasted a couple seconds at most. 

“I’m so glad you’re happy, Nicole.” Shae was back scrubbing the dishes in an instant, nothing more apparently to say. She used the opportunity to excuse herself to the bedroom, hoping to make the most of the time she had left with her girlfriend. 

The bedroom door was cracked just the tiniest bit, and she could hear Waverly humming as she packed up her belongings. Waverly had agreed to spend a couple of nights with Wynonna after staying for nearly a week straight at Nicole’s. 

‘Can’t you two stop munching each other’s carpet for two seconds for me to spend time with my baby sister?’ was how she so gracefully put it. 

She wrapped her arms around Waverly’s waist, burying her face into her girlfriend’s neck. She felt Waverly’s arms continue to move, but her body relaxed fell back into Nicole’s like a puzzle piece. 

“How’d it go?” Waverly asked as she continued packing. Nicole could only muster a huff that vibrated against her girlfriends neck. Waverly giggled, her neck being her most vulnerable and ticklish spot, amongst  _ other _ places. “That bad?’

Nicole pulled away, falling back first onto the bed next to Waverly’s bag, not so accidentally laying an arm across to prevent any more packing. “Baby come on we agreed I’d spend tonight at Wynonna’s.”

“Can’t I just be a little selfish and want you here all the time?”

After a brief pause, Waverly spoke up again. Nicole could see the abundance of insecurities overtaking her girlfriend. 

“Do you though?” She spoke so quietly, like she didn’t really want Nicole to hear. Her hands had never stopped, and they seemed to move a little slower as her mind swarmed with doubt. Nicole sat up immediately, forcing Waverly to stop and look at her.  

“Hey, please don’t let what she said get to you.” She begged. Shae had been here all of 14 hours and she was already causing problems in her relationship. She dropped her voice down to a whisper, and rose to her feet to stand no more than a few inches away. “You and I have a long journey ahead of us, Wave. I don’t want to go on any adventures with anyone but you. I want you around for a very, very,  _ very  _ long time.”

Waverly’s smile was small, but Nicole could spot the twinkle in her eye that showed her she was heard. 

“How do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Make me fall a little harder.”

Nicole felt her own cheeks flush. Everything screamed at her to tell Waverly she loved her, but with her ex-girlfriend only a wall away, she pocketed that confession for a more special moment. So instead, she cupped the soft cheeks she loved to feel under the pads of thumbs, and brought their lips together in a tender but fiery kiss. She felt Waverly’s palm run down her back, landing on her hips as they usually would.

She could lost in her lips, the lips that she loved so dearly. 

She pulled herself away, resting her forehead against her lovers. She longed to be alone again - to shut the world out and escape into a fantasy where they were the only two that existed, if only for a little while. Especially now, that Shae was knocking on her door. 

“Waverly, would you like to take home any leftovers?” Waverly’s forehead collapsed onto Nicole’s shoulder, only to be brought in closer by Nicole’s arms. She lifted her head for only a moment to project out.

“No thank you Shae, I’m good!” Her head immediately slotted back into Nicole’s shoulder.

“Are you sure? There’s plenty left, we both know Nicky hates leftovers.” Nicole felt the huff more so than she heard it. The pressure on her shoulder was gone again. 

“Alright, sounds good then. Thank you!” She wasn’t sure who would bruise first, her or Waverly at the rate she was moving. “Wynonna will eat anything.” Waverly mumbled. With a groan she lifted her head again, this time craning her neck to look up at Nicole. “I should probably get going.”

“Um, how about no. How about instead, you stay. There problem solved.”

“I will be back tomorrow night, you’ll hardly know I was gone. You’re working most of the day tomorrow anyways. Before you know it, we’ll be crawling into bed watching house flipping TV shows while you pretend to hate them.”

“Alright, fine I’ll walk you out.”

Shae stopped them halfway out the door, with the tupperware in hand and a far too eager goodbye. After walking Waverly to her car, and a lingering kiss, Nicole begrudgingly re-entered the house. If she turned around fast enough, she would have thrown herself into the backseat before Waverly drove away. What a mistake not to. 

But if he mother taught her anything it’s that you shouldn’t run away from your problems. Nevermind the countless spiders she ran away from and had Nicole get rid of, but that’s neither here nor there. 

She closed the door quietly, hoping to sneak to her room without alerting Shae.

“Would you like to watch a movie with me Nicky?” So much for that plan. “We can watch whatever you’d like.”

“Uh-h sorry I’m a little beat. I’m probably just going to read for a bit and head to bed early. I’ve got an early shift too so.”

“Oh come on, Nicole! It’ll just be like old times. I’ll even put that nasty cheese dust on the popcorn you like so much.” Shae stepped in closer, gripping the cuff of Nicole’s sleeve. “Plus I just really don’t want to be alone right now. God, I’m just so overwhelmed.” The tears began to fill the space between them. Fuck she hated seeing people cry. “I just want to forget for a little bit. Forget for a while that I’m picking up my life and starting over.” Nicole saw her expression soften in the reflection of the gathered tears. “Please?”

Not a mere 15 minutes later, they were sat on the couch watching some romantic comedy Shae ended up choosing. Nicole only half payed attention as she slouched further and further into the couch. Halfway through the movie her eyes grew heavier with each mediocre line muttered by some 90’s actress she couldn’t quite put the name to. 

Her eyes finally drifted shut, the movie long forgotten. Her back, no longer supported by the couch, was pressing into a beach chair. Sand tickled between her toes, the smell of the ocean filled her nostrils. She opened her eyes, expecting to see the bright sun beaming over the beach. The sun was dim compared to the sight of Waverly smiling back at her.

“Did you enjoy your nap,  _ Mrs _ . Haught?” With nothing but a smile and polka dot bikini, Waverly sauntered towards her before kneeling down between her legs. They were under an umbrella, two chairs placed underneath, a picnic basket set between them. She saw the remnants of a fruit bowl, only apple cores and strawberry tops remaining. 

A sparkle caught Nicole’s eye and brought her attention back to Waverly - a ring. A sparkly, dainty, beautiful ring around Waverly’s finger. She brought her own to grasp it gently, admiring the juxtaposition of the firm metal around the silk of Waverly’s skin. It wasn’t until she brought her other hand to cover theirs that she saw the silver band around her own finger. 

“We’re married,” she whispered, smiling as she ran her thumb around the piece. She wasn’t one for jewelry, but she’d always known this would be the exception. 

“We’re married, baby.” Waverly returned. “We really did it. I’ve wanted this for so long.”

“Me too, sweetheart. It didn’t take long for me to know we’d end up here. It’s a little scary how fast I fell for you Waverly Earp.”

“I love you, so much Nicole.”

“I love you too Wave, so so much.” Nicole cupped Waverly’s face, crashing their lips together fiercely. She pulled Waverly up into her lap, continuing to kiss her passionately. She felt the pressure on her hips as Waverly started a slow grind against her. She movement was intoxicating. She felt her chest tighten as her heart pace rose. 

The pounding she felt was exhilarating, but the force she felt on her ribcage started to feel suffocating, painful even. 

“Oh, Nicole,” she heard above her. The voice was muffled, unfamiliar. Her eyes were closed, but shot open as the pressure around her increased. Her eyes shot open, her view of the TV obstructed by a mass in front of her. 

Shae.

Shae Pressman, straddling her on her couch as the credits rolled.

“What the fuck!” She pushed forward, throwing Shae backwards toppling over onto the floor. She stood up immediately, still under the haze of her catnap. “Shae what the fuck were you doing? What the hell is wrong with you?”

“I just thought it might be a nice way to wake you up, you didn’t complain last time.”

“Two years ago?! What do I need to do to drill it into that thick skull of yours I’m serious about Waverly.”

“Oh please Nicole, in a couple of months some other insecure hussy will walk into your life that needs saving and you’ll be ‘serious’ about her too. You can’t help yourself. Waverly is NOTHING compared to me.” Shae’s voice grew in volume as she stepped closer to Nicole. “She’s just a stupid fuck that you think you saved, and one day she’s going to realize what little you hate to offer her.”

Nicole took a deep, mind clearing breath. Anxiety crept in like it always did when Shae was around.

“I want you out.”

“What?”

“Pack your shit, and leave.” Shae scoffed, shaking her head. 

“Where the hell am I supposed to go?”

“I don’t give a shit, but by the time I’m leaving for work in the morning, you better be gone.” She turned away, storming to her room and slamming the door. It felt immature, but dammit Shae’s a bitch. 

She fell backwards onto her bed. How was she supposed to tell Waverly?

It’s like she had supersonic hearing or telepathy or some sort of mind reading ability because next thing she knew she heard her text tone. 

_ 9:01 PM: I miss you already, I can’t wait to see you tomorrow. Goodnight my sweet.  _

She didn’t know much but, ‘Goodnight baby, btw my shifty ex straddled me while I was sleeping and told me I wasn’t good enough for you’ wasn’t the best goodnight text. 

Little did Shae know, Nicole kicking her out was possibly the best thing for her, because the second Waverly found out Shae made a move on her, the last place she’d want to be is anywhere near Nicole, and Nicole would hate to have to arrest her girlfriend. 


End file.
